Life on Purpose is a weekly column published Sunday’s at www.RiverheadLocal.com
Suffering, perseverance, character, hope. In that order
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:5 Hope and disappointment do seem to go hand and hand. I think that is the reason why this scripture is so hard to accept or understand. We all have hoped for something and been disappointed. I hoped to grow up, get married, raise a family and be able to provide a wonderful life for them. Have many of my hopes been realized? Yes, I guess they have, but not without some very difficult trials along the way. Serious illnesses, severe financial struggles, marital strife, emotional and psychological pain all have led to some very trying disappointments in the midst of this hope. Recently I had some profound encounters with hope that gave me a deeper understanding of the relationship between hope and disappointment. My [...]