A Reason to be Brave

Today, I reflected on a colleague's news about a college mate of hers who recently killed herself because an illegal recruiter robbed her of money. Ashamed of returning to her family, she decided to end her life instead. The sad death reminded me of another young friend who also took his own life because he was afraid to tell his family the truth about himself.

These stories really break my heart. What makes people lose hope?

"The men are saying we will not live out the night."

One of my favorite heroes, Aragorn from Lord of the Rings poignantly reminds the young boy that:

"There is always hope!"

No matter how bleak the future seems. The soldiers of Rohan, 300 men, were facing a massive army of ten thousand orcs and impending death. But we now know how this battle ends, they gain victory despite the seemingly impossible odds, as they chose to bravely face their opponents head on.

When all hope was seemingly lost, they trusted in their capacity to overcome, overcoming fear with trust -- trusting their capacity to get through obstacles, trusting that help would come. They trusted in providence and the support of allies otherwise known as friends. They hoped for dawn to come, and it did. Their hope paid off. You just have to wait how the story will end.

"It's like in the great stories," Sam advises Frodo, " the ones that really matter, full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because you didn't know if the end would be happy."

"How can the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happens? But in the end it's only a passing thing. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. When the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer."

I think I understand now, as Sam puts it, "in those stories, they had lots of chances to turn back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something."

What is it that we can we hold on to?

"That there is some good in this world. And it's worth fighting for!"

There is always hope! I believe what Samwise the Brave said is true for those who are losing hope in themselves, and in the world. You have got to see through how your story will go. For it is always full of hope. And when you feel lonely, there is always something good in your world that you can hold on to and it's worth living for whether it be your loved ones, your dreams, your ideals, other people.

My colleague says that not everyone know this to be true and that sometimes we take for granted the things that come naturally to us such as faith, which some of my friends who are atheists call a gift. Indeed, it is a gift, a gift that I also hope you would someday be open to receiving. But I speak of hope today, because like faith, it cannot be seen like the air we breathe but it can surely be felt by the heart. Hope springs eternal, no matter how dark the situation, no matter how impossible things appear. There is always an answer. Seek and you shall find.

I realized however that it is more difficult to be brave on your own, that is why we were given family and friends. It helps a great deal when someone believes in you, giving you the courage you need to keep running the race, to stay the course. When you cannot find hope within yourself, you can find it in others, and others can give it to you. It takes courage to seek help, but it is the first step to healing.

Today, I wish to live and love more bravely for those who feel empty because one never knows when a simple smile, a tap on the back, a word of encouragement, or your simple company could give a person a reason to keep on going.

I am grateful today for the gift of family and friends, faith and dreams, the knowledge that God is love and our lives have a purpose...In many ways I am blessed and deeply thankful. I want to be brave for others who need courage, I want them to know they are not alone in this world.

You are not alone. Dearest friend, please don't give up on life. There is always hope! A loving Father assures us, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future full of hope!" Now, that's a good reason to be brave.

Where else do we turn to when our strengths fail? "My help is in the Lord, who made heaven and earth," a psalmist sings from long ago.

My Heart Song tonight:

When you're lonely
and it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus

(Cry Out to Jesus By Third Day)

Photos courtesy of http://www.tk421.net/lotr/film/ttt/24.html.