One of the worst feelings in the world – and I think there are a lot of things that could fit into that category – but I think that one of the worst is feeling hopeless. Just being consumed with despair – that there is no way out of a situation, that things will never get better, and we just sit there completely and totally stuck drowning in a swamp of sadness.
I was confronted with two of those experiences this week, because apparently, my life was going too well and I was just a wee little bit too happy. So God decided to just take care of that for me.
Anywho, I think hopelessness at whatever level or to whatever degree is a common experience for us at times – and it certainly isn’t a good one.
Bartimaeus in the Gospel surely felt that way. He spent his life sitting, begging, blind and just stuck – and there was no hope, things weren’t going to get better for him, he was simply doomed to a life of absolute misery and desolation. And then Jesus came into the midst of it, and raised him up.
It’s providential this weekend I suppose that the Feast of St. Jude is tomorrow/today – the patron saint of hopeless causes and desperate situations. Jude is definitely one of those saints we should all be invoking on a regular basis – for us and for those that we love.
Into whatever situation in your life today that may seem hopeless; into whatever you got going on or not going on that can so easily lead you into the depths of despair and feeling like there is simply no way out; into all of those situations for us, just like He did for Bartimaeus, Jesus comes into the midst of our struggles, to deliver us, to save us from ourselves.
And when it’s dark and seems like Jesus doesn’t hear us, like Bartimaeus we need to cry out all the more – to be courageous and persist in our prayer, persist in our pleading that Jesus might give us a way to see through the darkness.
A way that does not give in to hopelessness, a way that does not give in to despair – a way where we cling to Jesus, and beg him relentlessly to lift us up from our dung heap, and to set us back on the path where we follow Him faithfully, where we trust in His promise, where we keep all of our selves, including our troubles, focused on Him, that we may truly encounter the joy that He alone can give.
Yeah, that’s what we all need. Through the intercession of St. Jude, God help us all. +
Comments
Beverly HartPosted on 11/18/18
I appreciated this message today because if anyone as ever felt this way it has been myself and even my son and others that I I know. I feel that way for my son that it is hopeless and there's no way out for him. The stress in my life that stems from both of my children and their situations in my own situation landed me in the hospital in the ER on Friday with severe chest pains and went around to my back which really scared me. My health history in my family health history is not very good and I never know if it's anxiety or heart problem . However I come to find it was a full-blown panic attack due to stress. On the upside they told me that my heart was very good and I had less than 1% chance of a heart attack which is wonderful. Being that my mother passed at 56 my sister at 54 of massive heart attacks. So there is hope for being in my hopelessness and your message really touched my heart and I thank you. I will ask for prayer for my son and his situation. Sometimes we just need someone to kick us in the back end with a message like this to realize Jesus is there and it's not hopeless. Thank you and God bless.