Yesterday I mentioned the young men who are in the small group that meets on Saturday mornings. I was, once again, so impressed with the willingness of each one, particularly the one who has been hurting so much of late,. Their willingness to be open regarding where they are. In fact, their responses reminded me that much of their spiritual life is still being developed. Their lives haven’t taken them through their present struggles to then know what the grace of God is truly like as we move through struggles to find the victories. They are living through their first real life battles. So, they express their hope, and for the one, his dwindling hope. As we got to the end of the session I was able to express to them a life’s timeline for myself where I felt just exactly as they have said, but today, I have not only lived through that battle, but others which have occurred along life’s journey. One will find God’s faithfulness if one just doesn’t give up. Well, they aren’t going to give up and that just makes me fill with joy.

I have lived 50 years beyond where a couple of these men are presently in their journey. There weren’t tools all those years ago for someone like me and even if there were, they certainly weren’t part of the church’s work for individuals struggling as I had. But, God does have a miraculous way of keeping us with a thread of hope from His Holy Spirit within. I can’t fathom what life would have been like without this stable voice within.