Need A Dose of Hope?

I am happy to welcome Laura from Outnumbered Mom to my blog today. She has such a sweet spirit. I know you will love what she has to share with us today.

I remember looking around the family room littered with trucks and balls and blocks and thinking, “What in the world do I think I’m doing here?”

A tribe of four boys can easily take over a house, and at times, I wondered if the Lord had made a mistake. I had one sister…NO experience with little boys, let alone a pack of four.

And there were days it seemed like I’d never dig out—from under piles of dirty socks, Legos, little cars, and lots of dirt and sand. And it seemed like I was doing the same thing every day, day after day. Just getting through, making sure 911 wasn’t necessary and there was food in tummies.

I needed a dose of hope. Don’t all moms, once in a while?

So, where did I look? Psalms is such an encouraging place to dwell.

“I lift my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

And there’s more! It’s not a long chapter, but it’s filled with reassurance.

Then there were those days when I set out to do everything “right.” I was going to turn every angry word away with a soft answer, I was going to love the unlovely…only to lose it thirty minutes in when I found the boys trying to slice a banana with the ceiling fan.

Armed with a mental list of “I wills” and “I will nots,” I approached too many days with faith in what I could do—not in what God would do.

You know what I’ve realized? He’s the God who makes the impossible possible.

He brings life from death.
He brought light from darkness.

He turned the world upside down, fulfilling the Law that appeared on stone tablets. And the more I read the Bible, the more convinced I am that He’s the God of the unexpected.

He’s called the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace. Would you not expect him to come from a pristine line? But look the genealogy in Matthew.  It includes not only a king who sinned, but a Gentile woman and a harlot.

Tucked inside those names are stories of hope.

From David to Ruth to Rahab, we see the hope of the Gospel. This is a kingdom turned upside down. Matthew, who had lived the life of an outcast as a despised tax collector, doesn’t cover up those who fell or led less than pristine lives. He includes them, reminding us that our inclusion in this family is dependent on God—not on our birth, our status, or our performance.

No matter where we begin, He finds us and grafts us in. We are adopted into the royal bloodline, related forever to the King of Kings.

What greater picture of the hope of the Gospel? Foreigners, outcasts, aliens, He welcomes home.

How can we do less?

And on a personal note, in that spirit, I celebrate with open arms. Our family is beginning a journey that will take my son and daughter-in-love from Kentucky to India and back again. And they’ll return with a child in their arms. To read their story click this link.

Yes, there’s hope—and it’s found in the Gospel. In One who opened His arms wide to make us—the undeserving—His own. And He doesn’t stop there. If anyone needs power and strength, it’s a mom, and at His feet, there’s plenty to spare.

That’s not to say the road won’t be rocky at times, but there will always be One who loves us—and our children—by our sides.

So when I look around and “What in the world am I doing here” flashes through my mind, I remember.

I’m leaning on the God of the unexpected, and that seems to work pretty well for a mom of four boys.

He’s always there—the One who makes possible the impossible.
That’s hope.



I want to thank Laura for sharing with us today. It's something we cannot hear enough,that He is our hope. Be sure to hop over to her blog and check it out. You will be inspired for sure.

Laura Lee Groves, author of I’m Outnumbered! One Mom’s Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys, is a writer, speaker, and high school English and creative writing teacher. She inspires and encourages moms on her blog, Outnumbered Mom.