Hope

Two of my favorites!  Butterflies and orchids and I was so blessed to capture several photos like this one.  God indeed created many beautiful things!  Butterflies are special to me, because I've had many God moments filled with hope and promise.

Today, I feel lead to write about hope.  I don't want to upset anyone and I am going to be brutally honest about myself in this writing as well.  I hope that it might touch someone to realize that hope is not found in one person here.  God is hope!

I listened with great sadness as I heard our First Lady, Michelle Obama say that she no longer feels hope.  I thought did I hear that right?  I am amazed that people that think because of the election no hope is found in the U.S. anymore ~ well I strongly disagree.  I have always told you that I would be honest when I share with you on here, so today I am going to be really honest.

I was not for Barack Obama for President.  I did not pull the lever for him, but I did have hope that he would do great things for our country.  I remember watching the first time he was elected and thinking I was happy for him, his family and that this might be a really good thing for our country.  People would realize that we are all able to succeed and that it was going to be okay.  I know he was good for some people and I know a lot of people are truly upset that some of his policies will change, but we have survived this in the elections in the past and we will survive this election too.  It's not about one man, one party, or one woman, it's about all of us.  It's bigger than me.  It's bigger than you.  It's about a whole country that needs to hit our knees in prayer that God doesn't leave us and that He is the answer to all of our needs.

I will also tell you that I wasn't for President-elect Donald Trump at the beginning of this process.  In fact, I had three people that were my picks before Donald Trump even came up on my list to vote for, but I did vote for him. Do I know if he's the right man?  No, but I don't hold my hope for our country in any one person's hands.  It's in God's hands and that is where hope is found.  I pray that Michelle Obama is wrong and that we indeed still have hope...because I don't want to believe God is not right here in the United States with each one of us.  Whether we are republican or democrat, white or black, man or woman, the list goes on and on about what each one of us might look like.  It is my prayer that each of us realize that we all as a country need to pull together.  I told you I was going to be brutally honest about myself...it's been a really tough 8 years on some people and our family is one of them.  Did I give up?  No.  Did I still want our President to succeed?  Yes.  Did I loose my hope?  No.  My hope isn't found in a person ~ remember?

Some of the policies put into law by President Obama make it very difficult for small business to make it.  The laws and such are putting a lot of people out of business, which in turn means a lot of people will be out of work.  I have watched people I love toss and turn, worry and even cry trying to figure out how to make all of this will work out, but yet we are told that we don't care.(watch the news)  Really?  Really?  We don't want to lay off one person much less all of them.  We don't want anyone to be without a job or all that it means.  When we turn on the television sets, we are told that we are stupid, we are deplorable, we are less than because we might think differently.  We are just trying to put one foot in front of the other, go to work and keep on going.  Hoping that indeed we figure out a way to keep our eyes on Jesus and that He keeps us covered in His arms, whether we survive or not.  We will see how things go and either way we will be okay!

Truth is, I realized a long time ago stuff doesn't make a person happy and whole.  Only God is able to do that and that is why I share that I cling to Him to get through each day.

It is my prayer that President elect Donald Trump does succeed for all of us, not just a certain few.  I want each of you to ponder why anyone would want him to fail.  Do you want him to fail, so that you will be ruled that you were right?  Well, you might want to soul search that...I did not ever want President Obama to fail and I still don't.  I don't know why it seems we have become people that are happy to watch others fail.  What is wrong with us?  Why do we want to be right, even if it means we fail?

Today cling to Him and keep your hope!  Along with hope, trust and love and remember this scripture from 1 Corinthians 13:13 (The Message)

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation:  Trust, steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.  And the best of the three is love.

God made each of us different for a reason.  Let's trust Him and believe His Words knowing He loves us because He sent His Son for a bunch of people that truly mess up all the time!  Each and everyone of us mess up constantly, so let's quit pointing fingers and try to be more like Jesus.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie