Study #3: Without Hope There Is Not Life!

Romans 8:24 (NASB)
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 

The word “hope” is the second in the eternal triad—faith, hope, and love—from these three things depend luck and happiness in our life.

Every day I hope to get up from my bed healthy and with a good mood.

Every day I hope to see my six-year-old daughter smiling and having fun.

Every day I hope that my husband will come back home safe.

Every day I hope that God will take care of me…

I grew up in a five-children family. I was a happy child and I was loved. But I remember that every time playing outside with brothers and sisters and friends, we would see coming back home from work our dad, and we would leave our friends and run back home quickly, proclaiming that dad is coming back drunk again…

It was such a shame for us, that our dad was not normal, not drinking like others on weekends…he was drinking every single day. My mom always had hope that one day he will stop! That he will stop drinking…

She had hope when they decided to try to have a son after three daughters—it did not help; she had hope when she decided to go for holiday with only him—it did not help; she had hope when she brought him to a special hospital for people with such problems—it helped just for a while. When he would meet his old friend he would begin his routine again…

She had a good sense of humor, she would joke that our dad has golden hands (it means that he was very creative), but also a golden throat (it means that he likes to drink alcohol). She prayed to God for help. She was a strong woman, but my dad was weak. He became weak so soon because of his addiction to alcohol. He was not himself; the addiction took power over him.

So one day my mom needed to make a choice. She did not want to live such a life. She did not want that her children would have such an example in their lives. She made the choice to save her children, even though she loved our dad very much. My dad started a new life with a new woman, but he still is addicted to alcohol. That woman is trying different ways to have faith with his addiction. But it is very difficult. He never calls us, he never tries to visit us. We don’t feel any connection with him. And we don’t want to be connected. Now we have our own life and our children just know that they do have a grandfather, but they never saw him.

But, still I believe that there is hope. There is hope for the new life. There is hope for resurrection. And I am thankful to God for my dad, for the life he gave to us, for the brothers and sisters he gave to me. I am thankful for his lessons in my childhood. For all the crafts he made for us, and all the jokes he shared with me.

Prayer
Dear God the Father, let our hope in Jesus Christ be strong and real, even when we are in darkness or in shadows. Let him make us strong always. Then we will go without fear by the right way. Amen.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion
• Do you believe that there is hope in your life?
• What would you do if you would have a person who is addicted to alcohol in your family?
• How would you help him or her?
• Do you think this person has hope for a new life?

Egle Chomyniene, Lithuania