Messages of Hope

At church on Sunday, I was drawn to a small table where books are usually placed for swapping.  My eyes went immediately to this book by Barbara Johnson; my first thought being, "Mom had a book like this."

Opening the cover to the inside page, I found a stamped name and address...

My mother's!  This had been her book at one time, and she (or I, after she passed) had donated it to the church.

Of course, I picked the book up...

The information on the back of the book, "Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life" summarizes it this way:

" 'Almost everyone needs a splash of joy to get through the mess, to get cleaned off and get sweetened up - refreshed and ready to go again,' Barbara Johnson says...Splashes of Joy offers an invigorating spurt of encouragement and a gentle reminder to splatter joy into the lives of others as well."

I discovered months ago that I needed to find my joy before I could write about hope, which is my word for 2017...the word I haven't written about very much!

This book helps us, in a comical way, to find Joy even when life hands us the uglies; those occasions when we can hardly find our way.

I remembered the chat I had with a dear friend the night before; as usual, she was encouraging me and helping me unravel some thoughts and issues I was having with my husband.

I told my friend I thought some of the words in my blog post for Simple Woman's Daybook were "accidentally" used; like typing "I Am Leaning" instead of "I am Learning."  I worked that "accident" into the words of my post; check it out here.

My friend told me she didn't think it was an accident...

Anymore than she didn't think it was an accident that I had found that book!

She said, "There is more meant to be understood there I think.  The answer is in that book somewhere."


Yesterday I was encouraged by this message found on Facebook:

"Hope says that God is sending you encouraging messages through others."  (- Karen Sebastian-Wirth, #thehopelady.)

Well, yes!  God does send encouragement and hope through others!


But, why did that message mean so much...at this particular time?

I thought back to the words of my friend; to the book I had "found"; and to my "accident" in the words I wrote in my blog.

I thought about that part of the quote, "messages through others"...

And realized that God is sending me messages through others!

Messages like quotes and chats and blog posts and words in TV shows.  He is even sending me messages through my own words!

God is reminding me that I can lean on Him; I can learn to lean...

And He will continue to send those "messages through others" to encourage me as I, in turn, encourage others.

Yes!  I am learning!  But, I am also leaning...

I am Learning to lean on Him!





A special thanks to Karen Sebastian-Wirth for the words of encouragement and inspiration found in this series.

Karen is participating in the "Write31Days" challenge during the month of October.  Check out her blog here.