Post
89
GIVING
HOPE
The
title caught my eye: How to Do Giving Tuesday for Free; and the
email continued, “instead of giving money, consider giving
reviews.” (info@sojourrngrace.com ) What
a great idea: positive reviews draw interest - and curiosity may bring folks to
attend the reviewed place of worship. The reviewer didn’t spend a penny …
BUT an encouraging word can be worth its weight in gold!
For this issue of December’s GRM Blog, I want to
follow along this theme of giving – GIVING HOPE. In the clergy trainings I teach (for the International
Gambling Counselor Certification Board’s Clergy/Lay Minister Certification), I
caution the class members to be mindful about using the word hope
too quickly or easily with individuals whose lives are severely impacted by
gambling addiction - including the family members - who,
likewise, suffer from this devastating illness.
During the work I do as Director of Gambling
Recovery Ministries, I speak with folks whose lives reflect just that: to them,
all hope is gone. Their lives are ruled by an addiction that attacks the
person’s mind, body, and spirit: obsessive thinking, compulsive urges to
gamble regardless of the circumstances, the breakdown of the family and other
personal relationships … then too, the person’s faith can collapse.
It is quite common for those in the “Hopeless
Phase” to believe that God has already abandoned them … that the Divine Healer
has given up and moved on. Therefore, they think, I’m in this alone …
“Why pray? There won’t be any healing for me.” … “I’m not worthy of
being prayed for OR of even being the one who prays.”
AND SO, I challenge the clergy to be “GUIDES-TO-HOPE” …
even before the person is able to perceive a glimmer of hope for
recovery. One of the first exercises we do in class is to read together
what is called The 13 Affirmations of Women for Sobriety (WFS)
recovery program. The purpose of this is to demonstrate how we will
picture the person who comes to us for help - that we, ourselves,
will see them – successful in recovery – as individuals filled with hope and
promise.
For us, then, as guides-to-hope, we
need to first center within our own minds what hope will actually mean
to the one who is suffering and not experiencing any hope for his/her present
or future. From a number of definitions of the word hope come these
components: anticipation with confidence, trust, some sense of potential
(positive) certainty, a foretaste of do-able optimism, and capacity for being
workable … moreover, as opposed to mere wishful thinking, there is
encouragement and truth to back up hope.
Additionally – and significantly – I want to
include further definition to the concept of hope.
The following is a slice from the sermon I
preached this past Sunday, kicking off a Sermon Series on HOPE leading up to
Christmas Sunday.
How would it be if we start off
defining HOPE as an expectation which is God-derived ...
that
the foundation of HOPE comes from a desire/ an anticipation instilled
within each of our hearts by God. In other words, let us see
HOPE, as God’s gift – given to us, in response to our prayers for
HOPE - specific to our own circumstances … and that in doing so,
desires for what I’ll call God-outcomes swell within our hearts
and minds … that we may become filled with hope in ways
that we would never expect – which then brings us to what I’ll term as
holy trust and peace.
Here-in, is the message for each of us.
WHAT DO WE HOPE FOR? DO WE EVEN PRAY FOR
HOPE?
·
How teach-able are we?
·
Have we decided the limits of God’s divine ministry,
directed to us?
·
Have we limited the number of miracles – or blessings – that the
Creator of the Universe will bestow upon us?
·
Do we discount or minimize what God has personally shown us already
?
THREE CLOSING QUESTIONS FOR OUR REFLECTING ON
HOPE:
·
Are we open and ready for unexpected miracles to happen in our
personal circumstances?
·
How,
indeed, does trust interact with hope ?
·
Do
our own lives reflect hope to the realistic extent that we can serve as
Guides-to-Hope for others?
Once
more, what do you hope for …now and in the coming year(s)?
Blessings,
Rev.
Janet Jacobs, CCGSO
Founding
Director
Gambling
Recovery Ministries
For more information
on recovery from problem gambling and other addictions, go to:
