Seeing our life from God's advantage point and holding on to hope (Romans 8:24) with a story about a badly burned boy whose life was turned around with just one visit.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:24 (NIV)

Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

STORY:

The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their school work during stays in the city's hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child's name and room number and talked briefly with the child's regular class teacher. "We're studying nouns and adverbs in his class now," the regular teacher said, "and I'd be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn't fall too far behind." 

The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, "I've been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs." When she left she felt she hadn't accomplished much. 

But the next day, a nurse asked her, "What did you do to that boy?" The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. "No, no," said the nurse. "You don't know what I mean. We've been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back, responding to treatment. It's as though he's decided to live." 

Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?" 

OBSERVATION:

Sometimes we give up too quickly. Sometimes we allow the circumstances to win. Sometimes we succumb to the battle and lay defeated. Sometimes we loose sight of hope. This is when faith steps in.

As long as God is still in his heaven and the sun raises in the east there is always hope regardless of the circumstances or diagnoses.

Never give up! Never give up! Never give up! We might not see the possibilities, but God does. We might not think that there is a future, but God does. We might not think of the numerous ways that these circumstances can turn positive, but God does. Never give up!

PRAYER:

Help us to lift our vision beyond what we see as reality. Help us to see our life as you see it. Help us embrace the hope that is held in your hands.