What Do You Do When All Looks Hopeless?

Recently one early morning I was flipping through my bible and I stumbled upon one of my favorite stories. It’s the one where a rulers daughter is raised from the dead. You might have heard of it…or perhaps not. But it goes like this…

While He was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him , and so did his disciples…When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep. But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread throughout all of that region. ~Matthew 9:18-19

Fascinating of a story isn’t it? But what’s even more fascinating was my judgemental thoughts after reading it! Because as I sat in my big comfy chair all I could do was roll my eyes and say, “Jarius, Jarius! Why didn’t you just go to Jesus before your daughter was too sick? Why did you wait until it was too late? And before she was dead? Did you think you had time to try all of your own ideas first? Or that it was okay to wait until everyone had given their opinions? No offense, but it seems kind of silly when you could have just went and talked to Jesus. Maybe asked if He could come and help?”

But then I took notice of my finger-pointing-self and I began to shrink back. Because I began to look at how I have spent the past five years of my life, aaaand yeah, we are the same. Me and him. Because so often during my infertility journey I have waited until it looked hopeless. Even until everything seemed dead before I would come to Him in prayer. It was as though He was also my last-ditch effort. You know, the One who became my final resort after I had taken matters into my own hands and done all I could do. The one who I would seek advice from when all others didn’t work in my favor. The one I would only pray to while standing in the bathroom holding a negative pregnancy test, begging Him to change the outcome. Pleading with Him to extend His grace. And doing so all while knowing that my prayers were usually just in an emergency. The kind of prayers I would pray when all else had failed. And all other options exhausted.

So while I want to sit here and shake my finger at you, Jarius, for waiting until the situation was impossible to change, I won’t. Or while I wish I could say “tsk, tsk” because you didn’t seek His help until no one else could, I can’t. Because I see myself in you. I see myself in your thoughts and actions. I see myself only running to Jesus as my last-ditch effort.

But you know something, Jarius? Oh how amazing your story is because it proves the love our heavenly Father has for you…and me…and everyone reading your story. Because it shows that even when we come to God at the last-minute, and after we have run ourselves so far into a ditch, or exhausted our own resources and efforts, He still has compassion for us. He still extends His mercy into our lives. And He still pours out His amazing grace into our messy situations.

So friends, if you are in a position where your situation looks dead and seems hopeless, don’t hesitate, just go…no run…to Jesus. Because He will always meet you at your point of need. He is always willing to bring life to the lifeless dreams you have tucked inside your heart. He can always change what seems to be unchangeable. And He alone can do what you and others, including your doctors, can’t. So don’t waste another second. Run into His open arms and ask Him to restore, revive, mend, and change. And then have faith to believe He will in His unexpected way and perfect timing.

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