Hope empowers individuals to face tough times with courage and grace. Often suffering individuals can draw inner strength not only from their human resilience but also from the Divine. Hope in God’s support can help us move ahead when a problem seems to have no solution and a situation appears impossible.
Trusting in the redemptive power of God in our lives is needed, but at times we can start putting everything on the shoulders of God — thinking that God will come down and magically solve our problems without requiring us to do anything. Though God is gracious and helps us in our troubles, it does not follow that God wants us to become apathetic and inactive.
Listen to this famous story:
A disciple came riding on his camel to the tent of his Sufi Master. He dismounted and walked right into the tent, bowed low and said, “So great is my trust in God that I have left my camel outside untied, convinced that God protects the interests of those who love him.”
“Go tie your camel, you fool!” said the Master. God cannot be bothered doing for you what you are perfectly capable of doing for yourself.”[1]
It is good to trust in God, but we need to tie our camel first.[2] We need to do our part to the best of our ability, and then the rest should be submitted to God’s care.
Often, when we face painful and devastating situations, we can become stuck and hopeless. Persistent despair and hopelessness can damage us from the inside and decay our spirit of initiative and enthusiasm. In moments of hopelessness, everything can seem dark and gloomy, and we can lose a sense of agency, what we can still do.
In dark and hopeless moments, we may expect God to wave a magic wand to replace our ill-fated situations or we might fall into the trap of pessimism and depression, believing that no healing and happiness are possible. Neither of the above is a healthy approach and each can make us linger in our misery. Tying our camel first — doing what is in our capacity — is essential to overcome our hopelessness.
Some doors only open when we walk toward them, staring at them from afar, they remain closed. Every tiny step we take matters, and perhaps that is the only thing we can do in certain unbending and baffling situations. Whatever we can do, however little, can help us open ourselves to the floodgates of God’s grace and miracles in our lives. Sometimes, God requires just a little from us to transform our misery and devastation into joy and new life.[3]
Hope requires that we start taking the tiny steps within our capacity and entrust the rest to the mighty providence of God.
John Baptist OFM Cap.
Clinical Counselor & Psychospiritual Resource Person
York, PA, USA
[1] Anthony de Mello, SJ, The Prayer of the Frog
[2] Wajahat Ali, 3 Lessons on Hope in Changing Times
[3] The miracle of Feeding the Five Thousand, Mt 14: 13-21
Regards frji praise the Lord . You are absolutely right that the things we can do do it's ourselves and the rest of leave on god and give our best to life and family .
ReplyDeleteWhere is the line drawn when one starts depending on themselves and ones own ability and not enough in God?
ReplyDeleteWhen one starts becoming anxious, worried, and arrogant then it is a time to reflect whether one is excluding the grace of God in their life and trying to do all by oneself.
Delete👏👏👏🌺💐💐
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