A Heap of Hope + Retreat Registration
(This month’s encouragement comes from our upcoming retreat booklet! Join us May 30–June 1 at Sandy Cove in North East, Maryland, for a special retreat entitled "Jesus, The Anchor For My Soul." We’d love for you to be part of this unforgettable and hope-filled weekend. For more information and to register, please click here.)
A local equine therapy farm sells a fertilizer they’ve named "Heap of Hope.” This fertilizer is made from the manure of their own horses and is carefully shoveled by their dedicated staff and volunteers. The farm promises that it will enhance the color and growth of its users’ gardens, but that’s not the only way hope is spread through the manure. All proceeds support the farm and its therapy program for children with special needs.
A quick online search shows how horse manure is transformed into rich, valuable fertilizer (feel free to look it up if you’re curious!). But if man can make something valuable – and bring hope – out of that, imagine how much more God can do with what seems “wasteful,” broken, and hopeless in our lives.
Just as a farmer can turn a heap of manure into a heap of hope, our God can take what we believe is beyond repair and turn it into something beautiful. If you’re carrying a heap of burdens, regrets, worries, or fears – if your heart is heavy from grief, pain, or disappointment, or you feel like there is no hope left for you – take heart. God longs to fill you with hope that isn’t dependent on your own effort or the reliability of others.
His hope is not empty, shallow, or temporary. It’s as strong and trustworthy as an anchor because it’s founded on the person of Christ and His promises. When we remember His presence and choose to see from His perspective, our hope in Him can abound.
As you draw near to Jesus and reflect on the hope you can have in Him, consider Romans 15:13. You can trade whatever heap you’re currently holding for your very own heap of hope.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
With much love in Christ,
Cara Blondo
We wish to see Jesus –John 12:21