Someone recently asked me an honest question about my grief over losing my daughter to heart disease. She asked if I could go back and were I to have a choice about whether or not to be a mom to a child with special needs, would I choose to bypass all the heartache? I acknowledged that there are many things that I would do differently, but having my daughter would not be something I’d change. So, it made me wonder about how we, as believers, see our hardships in this life.

The most unhappy, lost people I know, are always looking backwards. They are stuck reliving events of the past, trying to justify their own behavior or find meaning in their suffering. It is a sad loop of trying to heal their own wounds through more temporary happiness–actions that perpetuate the cycle of damage.

What I love to see are the Christians that know that they have hope. Like me, they  know that one of the wondrous things about being a follower of Christ is the transformation that takes place in our hearts and minds. God heals the brokenhearted and tells us that our sufferings produce character and endurance because of the love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Our future is secure when we place our lives in the hands of the Father.

I don’t know if you have been struggling with your role as a caregiver, but it is not uncommon to be upset about a changing relationships with your parents, a spouse, or receiving a diagnosis for your child. The daily tasks can be overwhelming, especially in the early days when everything is new.  As someone who has lived through it, let me encourage you today. Even when we think we are at our lowest point, there is hope. Keep faith, knowing that God is faithful to fulfill his promises and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know how to pray. Remember that hope looks forward, not backward. And hope is the anchor for our souls in times of trouble.