Raising the Banner of Hope in a War-Torn World

Fourteen years ago, Mom had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her stomach. “We got it all,” they said. “Her prognosis is good,” they said. And they were right, until several weeks after the surgery. She was admitted to the hospital, unable to hold down food, her abdomen swollen three times its standard size, and her body writhing with pain.

I watched them poke, prod, and run every imaginable test on Mom for three weeks without conclusive answers. They needed more ideas, and I needed more patience. Then one day, her oncologist approached me in the hallway, “Mrs. Sherwood, how can I help?”

“Please help me transfer her to IU Cancer Center in Indianapolis. We need some answers.” His reply was, “I will get right on it.”

Within the next 36 hours, they had transferred Mom’s medical records, a bed had opened, and the ambulance was waiting outside to move her from Toledo to Indy. She arrived after midnight. A team of doctors greeted her, ready and eager to discover the cause of Mom’s symptoms.

It didn’t take but a few hours before we had the answer. I will never forget how this new oncologist walked into the room, grabbed the round black stool on wheels, and rolled it close to Mom’s bed. With tenderness, he held her hand and spoke gently, “Mrs. Steffes, we have the results of your tests. The truth is cancer has exploded in your body. There is nothing more we can do. We will call in hospice to allow you to spend your final days at home, surrounded by your family. Do you have any questions for me?”

Her body was frail, but I saw a beautiful strength rise within her as she replied, “Doc, I know who holds my life in His hands. And I trust Him completely.” By this time, the doctor and I were both crying. “Mrs. Steffes, I have never seen so great a faith.”

There are times in our life when we get sideswiped by hardships. Mom’s diagnosis was one of those moments. Then there are times when we can see the battle on the horizon. Hospice was that time for our family. Our faith was about to go under fire. We would need some weapons if we were going to be found faithful.

I left the hospital early the following day and knew where to go. Like a woman on a mission entering an armory, I marched into the local Hobby Lobby store, passed the seasonal department, scrapbook supplies, and made a sharp turn left until I spied the needed artillery. I turned right at the wooden cutout aisle. Then carefully loaded my arms with the letters that would serve us well in the battle H-O-P-E.

Up until this point in my life, hope had been a word that stirred warm, fuzzy feelings. But now, hope had become the war cry we would need for survival. Because hope isn’t just an idea, it is a person -Jesus Christ. The days ahead were going to be tough. We would tire, feel emotionally spent, question God, have angry outbursts, and even sink into depression.

We needed this reminder, “No matter how worn you get, no matter how much you doubt, even if you feel you have lost your way, hold tight to the One who is holding you. He is Hope!”

Maybe today, you need this reminder too. Life feels a bit like a war zone. Bullets of hate, anger, and deceit shoot past us every day. We keep holding out for something to change, lifting a voice of truth and loving the wounded, but we secretly ask, “God, how long?”

Dear friends, just as I hung the word HOPE in our living room fourteen years ago as a reminder of God’s presence, I want to put some words in front of you. Words to remind you not to give up, give in, or fall behind-Words to equip you with HOPE for the battle.

1) Stay the course with eyes fixed firmly on Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith

2) Steady yourselves by holding tight to the truth of God’s never-changing, life-giving word

3) Stand tall by falling to your knees in prayer, seeking the Father’s heart, leaning into His way

We will get through life’s battles. But we must trust our Commander in Chief, who sees what we cannot. He invites us to join Him in marching to the rhythms of grace as we raise the banner of hope.

Friends, the noise level of our world is loud, warring for your soul. And in the battle for your allegiance, it is easy to slip into a mindset of striving like everything depends on us. But God is calling us to seek Him first, passionately, with all we have. And in His presence, peace, hope, joy, love, comfort, and rest abide.