May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Hiding this verse deep in my heart is one of the most powerful things I did while Nick was sick.

I clung to the God of Hope.

I trusted Him to fill me with joy and peace as we faced such dark and uncertain days.

I longed to overflow with Hope.

I needed the power of the Holy Spirit.

And then Nick died.

I'm not going to lie.

Questioning this verse and the goodness of God were not unusual activities for my mind in those first few months after saying goodbye to my precious boy.

When you trust someone with your child, you don't expect the story to end at a graveside.

I think the disciples must have struggled on the Friday night and Saturday after the crucifixion.I can't even imagine how they felt. Going from being followers of the One they thought for sure was going to be the new King of Kings......to the followers of a man whose life had been taken on a cruel, wooden cross.

Disillusioned, discouraged, and dismayed.

They surely experienced these feelings.

So did I.

But something happened on Sunday morning that not only changed the disciples lives forever but also changed our lives forever too!

Jesus conquered death.

He overcame the grave.

He rose again!

And because of this truth and reality, HOPE was born for all mankind.

Now, even as a grieving mom, I can face today with a great big smile.

I can overflow with something bigger and better than ANYTHING this world has to offer!

Because Jesus conquered death, Nick did too!

He's waiting for me in Heaven, and that knowledge alone gives me the strength to do things like

teach school

host a 5K memory walk

be a youth sponsor at church

teach Sunday school

be a happy mom to my kids here on earth

Are you feeling discouraged today?

I challenge you to hide this verse in your heart and whisper to yourself over and over again.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Praying for you as I head to school,