HOPE

Day 3 – The gratitude of Lent.

I am grateful for the blessing of Hope.

Three months prior to getting the news that I was pregnant with my second child, I had suffered a devastating miscarriage which nearly cost me my life. We were stationed in Japan at the time and were awaiting orders to be transferred to the Philippines. I didn’t know it then but, that was the beginning of the nightmare our family would experience from my husbands exposure to agent orange while serving in Vietnam.

Throughout my pregnancy, I was unsure if I would be able to carry this child to term.  Hope was my constant companion, hope for a healthy baby, hope for no complications and hope for our future. On a cold, snowy night in New Jersey because we had been transferred back stateside, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She was a joy and a blessing and I named her Hope.

HOPE

In the darkest night of despair and fear,

As you wait for the next disaster to appear,

If you listen, you’ll hear God whisper in your ear,

Have hope for I am with you dear.

In God there is refuge and peace,

All of your worries you can release,

Your hope you will fully unlock,

When you stand firmly on the rock.