when hope becomes despair

Recently I read a very sad letter.  It was not a letter addressed directly to me.  It was not a letter addressed to anyone specific, rather it was a letter addressed to whoever would read it.  It was a very tragic letter.  This letter was written by Tara Condell, who on the surface appeared to have achieved everything she hoped for.  She held degrees, a good career in what she loved, friends, family and a start on what could have been a successful and joy filled life.  Tara tragically ended her life. 

Like so many other souls, eventually there comes a time in life when the struggles appear to be insurmountable.  It does not matter what we have monetarily, materially, nor physically.  We can get to a point where hope seems hopeless.  This young lady got there as she said, “I have accepted hope is nothing more than delayed disappointment, and I am just plain old-fashioned tired of feeling tired.” 

What a tragic place to arrive at.  There were times in my life where my response to “how’s it going” would be, “well I recently found out that the light at the end of the tunnel is nothing more than a locomotive about to run me down!”  Then one day this all changed for me.  I found hope.  More than that I found out that hope was not just delayed disappointment.  I preface this by humbly acknowledging I did not know this young lady nor her heart.  That is not what I intend to address here, but rather the feeling of hopelessness. 

We are a people created in God’s image and made for relationships of love, unity, trust, and hope, both in Him and in others.  Our soul can only be filled to the fullest capacity in hope by Him who created us.  Sin distorted our ability to have these proper relationships the way God intended them to be.  As a result we drew away from God and sought our own way. 

We started looking for everything we could that would bring us hope but it only left us more hollow than before.  We thought that maybe, just maybe we have not yet understood the correct equation to acquiring this elusive hope.  So we tried everything we could to fill our tank of hope.  Unfortunately, we were wrong again.  Nothing we did seemed to matter and we only felt more alone, more isolated, more sadness, pain, anger, frustration, and eventually despair. 

Despair became the light at the end of the tunnel.  Because the One who created us to find our all in all in Him was no longer who we sought for hope.  Rather we openly admit it or not, despair is one day where all of us will end up apart from God.  For true lasting hope can only come from the One who created us to have hope, from the One who created us to Hope in Him for everything we could ever need or want.  

Revelation 21:4 is the perfect unblemished epitome of hope!

“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Hope is to know Jesus Christ, to be in Jesus Christ, to follow Jesus Christ, for He promises that one day our hope will be fulfilled in Him forever more.  That my friends is the very bright light at the end of your dark, insurmountable tunnel. 
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I humbly ask if you are reading this, pray that God gives you the opportunity to share hope with someone who is struggling to see anything other than the light of the locomotive in their dark tunnel.  If you are reading this and are struggling, please know that there is hope even in the darkness of circumstances.  If you are contemplating taking your precious life, please call the hotline and talk to someone.

Suicide Hotline
1-800-273-8255