The last remnants of 2024 are packed away, except for a small Christmas ornament I found under my sofa. I am not sure how it got there, but with all the hoopla in this house, I couldn’t blame anything for hiding under anything!
So, here we all are heading into a new year. 2025 didn’t begin with joy because of the senseless tragedy in New Orleans when many lost their lives due to the actions of a deranged man. How many will be harmed this year because of mental illness, terrorism, hatred, violence, and envy? I know there will be more because evil exists among us and loves to raise its miserable hands to create destruction.
When nurtured, the human spirit is a force to be reckoned with. It rebounds and rebuilds from tragedy and challenges, showing our courage and determination. We rise every morning to achieve, learn, grow, and become. Hope is the fuel that keeps us moving forward, preventing evil from gaining a foothold within us.
I hear folks say, “The world is a mess, full of decadence, rife with anger, and headed to doomsday tomorrow!” Well, yes, it is full of wickedness. But it is made worse by assuming that tomorrow will be more horrible than today.
Such a belief translates into a lack of faith and an abundance of hypocrisy, which leads to empty church pews, distrust, and malfeasance. It is disturbing that we can often preach a sermon but are reluctant to deliver a message. The only way we can change the landscape around us is to encourage hope by being more compassionate and more thoughtful.
Many years ago, I found myself in a place of despair. My life seemed doomed, and each day brought more hopelessness. I couldn’t see a way forward, and as much as I longed to ‘fix’ it all, my soul felt too broken to mend.
Even though I suffer from clinical depression, I felt I needed to be hospitalized to save myself from myself. Once I talked to my doctor, I knew he would agree with me. But I was wrong.
“Doc, I am as low as I can go,” I said, reiterating that I might need to be treated in a psychiatric facility.
“No, you will be fine.” He said this with such assurance that I was concerned he wasn’t taking me seriously or listening.
He continued, “Lynn, I have seen you hopeless, lost, and suicidal. I know you well and have counseled you during those hard spells. And each time you hit the bottom, your faith pulls you up as if God drags you back on level ground to march on.”
He was right, and to this day, when I feel like I’m at my lowest, I reach up and grab onto hope fueled by my faith. It’s this unwavering belief that has helped me overcome my darkest moments.
We want to build walls to keep evil at bay. Many look to law enforcement and the government to keep us safe in our pretty houses and manicured neighborhoods. But we cannot and should not rely only on those things to keep us well. Instead, we should become participants in the movement to return hope to those who have lost it.
We do so through our actions, our charity, and our service. We are not like an ornament hiding from the world under our comfortable sofa but must become a beacon shining a light into the future.
Let’s lay the xenophobia down, put to rest our biases and political nastiness, and believe again that no one is better than another. If we want to fill our churches, it would not be by a vote but by our usefulness to humanity. Our actions, our charity, and our service are what truly matter.
President Jimmy Carter will be forever known as a caring person. He lived to serve. His legacy will be one of character, humanitarianism, and goodwill. The years he served as the leader of our nation are nothing compared to the years of hope he gave to the world’s people. He lived well because he never gave up, grabbed the Lord’s hand, and showed others how to hold onto it.
He was not one to hide but to embrace a new day to achieve victory over evil.
Let’s challenge ourselves to begin anew by giving joy, spreading kindness, and offering hope through our service to others. It’s the least we can do for the future of our children and grandchildren.
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah: 40:31
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Lynn Walker Gendusa is a Tennessee-raised, Georgia-residing author and columnist. Her latest book is “Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith.” She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com. For more of her inspirational stories, click here.
