Hope

I can’t believe how much time has passed and how much has happened since I last wrote a blog. The last time I posted, I was in the middle of my time performing at Dollywood and now a whole summer has passed and we are well into the fall of 2024. Wow, time flies! 

I wanted to write about hope because I think we are in dire need of hope right now. With all the hurricanes, wildfires, wars, death and chaos that is going on, it has been very dark and very heavy. I don’t know about y’all but I have been overwhelmed with grief not only for our state but all the states that have been hit with such intense weather. I can’t believe how much of our mountains are now gone due to Hurricane Helene. I have been overwhelmed by the devastation that has taken place not only in NC but in TN, GA, FL and WY with the wildfires. 

My heart breaks and it is so grieved for the people who have lost loved ones, neighbors, homes, towns, and pets. My heart is heavy for the workers, the lineman, the first responders, the American people who have selflessly and tirelessly given to help those in need. I can't imagine what all these people must be going through. I have tried to put myself in their shoes and I can't come close to imagining how they must feel. I have been praying so much for all the people affected. 

For me, being a performer, we are about to head out on tour in a few days. It has been hard practicing happy songs while so much devastation is going on around us. But you know, my way of helping in all of this is to sing and play the violin. My calling that God has put on my life is to go and give joy by singing for the people who come to our shows. It’s been a struggle, but I have found great comfort in surrendering to the calling God has on my life to go and sing for people. 

Sometimes I feel like I should be (and want to be) in our mountains helping my fellow North Carolinians. It has crushed my heart to be so close and not able to go and help. I also feel guilty for having my home and food and water when all those things are now a luxury to so many people. When such devastation around is happening it is overwhelming and can shut me down from doing what God has called me to do. But God has called me to do music so I stay here and practice, pack and get ready for tour. 

But I say all that in case you have felt like me … the best way you can help is by doing what God has called you to do and that comes in numerous shapes and sizes. So be encouraged to do exactly what God has called you to do. Your joy, your peace, your attitude can speak to other people's hearts more than you realize. Being faithful, present and engaged with your family and the people you come across throughout your day is the best thing you can do while praying and keeping your eyes on Jesus Christ who put you exactly where you need to be. 

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.” - Isaiah 26:3

Now on to my main topic for the blog. Hope. As I was preparing for the tour I was trying to figure out what I should talk about and I was struggling to figure out what to say before this song. I knew God would have to show me what to say because I was drawing a blank and I had no idea what to say. Well, the Lord did it. He literally plopped the words in my mouth and gave me what to talk about and it’s about hope! 

My talking point led me to thinking about hope and how unique hope is. I came up with the analogy of a sunrise. When you are watching a sunrise, you’re sitting in darkness, looking far out into the horizon just waiting for that light to change. The moment the horizon changes … that first, faint light … is hope. And that hope is a promise that the sun will come bursting forth! But think about what you're doing as you wait for that light, you’re sitting, waiting in complete darkness. 

Waiting in the darkness can be equated to these dark days that we are living through. We are living in such dark times and I don’t know about you but I have found myself in utter despair and depression at times. But my job, and your job, is to not give up because the moment we quit and stop looking for the light … we won't see it and we will miss out on the beautiful promise that hope gives us. 

Those who are looking, waiting for that first light will be the first to see it when it changes and the moment that first light appears it gives hope and that hope is a promise that the sun will burst forth into our day, into our life. That promise of hope lives within each of us. 

For those who believe in Jesus Christ we can relate the sun to the Son of God! Jesus is our living hope after all, and our job is to keep our eyes on Him. We look, and wait for His light to burst forth into our lives. But sometimes that means sitting through the night in darkness waiting for Him to shine forth. Those nights can be long and lonely and despairing, (even though even in the midst of the dark night, He is sitting right beside us) but we need to be faithful to keep our eyes on Him and His light will burst forth into our lives. 

So no matter what you have gone through, what you will go through, what you are going through … I want to encourage you, do not give up. The best you might be able to do is nothing but sit and wait in the darkness … and I want to tell you … that is more than enough. I just don't want you to give up. You sit and wait and look with anticipation because the light will come and remember, that first, faint light is HOPE and that hope is a promise that lives within you even though you may feel you will never see the light of day. The beautiful thing is that you may feel dead and filled with despair but the promise of hope lives within you. Because Jesus is our living hope and those who know Him and believe in Him always have Jesus, our living hope, living in us. 

I know this blog post isn’t necessarily related to food or disorders but recovery is recovery. Whether you are now having to face recovery from having lost your loved one, your home or maybe you're weary from being in the middle of your battle with your addiction or disorder … it doesn't matter because hope applies to every single person out there. And as those who have gone through recovery or are going through it … you know recovery has its ups and downs. And when we are down … we need hope that one day it will turn around. 

And let me just say, I have had more days since God put it on my heart to speak about hope, where He allowed me to feel hopeless. When He gives me something to talk about, He wants to make sure I have lived it before speaking it. I had more days in the past couple months where I found myself looking out into the horizon wondering if the sun would come through. It was dark, despairing and lonely but I kept looking because He promised to be that hope for me. His light will burst forth, He is my living hope and I know it for a fact. But that comes through suffering and sitting in darkness. But He will never leave us nor forsake us. Having recently been through my own dark nights I can honestly say, He is alive and He is my living hope. Even though I felt dead inside, His hope was living in me and was that promise to me that the Son, Jesus Christ will burst forth for me.

So I want to leave you with this passage from 1 Peter because I think it sums all of this up rather perfectly. I also want to encourage you, if you do not know Him, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and He will be your living hope.

3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3 - 9

~ Natalie