There are seasons in life where things get dark, sad, and hopeless. These come for numerous reasons. All of us walk through them at one time or another.

The temptation is to focus all our attention on what our life will look like when things turn around. We want a grand vision of a new life and all the joy returning every day. 

Sometimes it is better to refocus on the little things. Then we can look forward to the small forms of hope that improve each day until we reach our destination.

There are numerous ways this can play out for us. These can be as simple as hoping the weather this week will be better than last week. The evening meal tomorrow may taste better than anything I ate last week. The conversations in the coming days will be a blessing more than any previous interactions. 

I want you to have hope for a better season of life coming to you, but you only get there one day at a time – one little hope-filled experience at a time. 

Pastor and writer Eugene Peterson tells a story of he and his wife visiting a monastery. They were walking across the grounds when they noticed in the little cemetery a hole dug and left there as an open grave.

They inquired from one of the monks if someone had recently died. He told them that they always keep an open grave there at this location. It is designed to remind them that one day there will be another funeral, and sometime it will be yours.

Indeed, life has many possibilities but one certainty. Prepare now for what you know is coming.   

One hike my wife and I went on in Colorado was called the Royal Arch. It is not a very long trail but quickly gains over 1,300 feet in elevation. We climbed the stones constructed into a makeshift stairway all the way to the top. 

Well, we thought it was the top. Once we reached the highest point, I started asking about the arch. Where is it? What am I missing? We saw stairs cut into the mountain down the backside, but we assumed that would take us back to the trailhead. Only when we asked other hikers did we realize that what seemed like the top was not the summit of the journey.

The trail actually goes down from the first high point onto another section of path that leads you higher to the Royal Arch. If we hadn’t hesitated and asked some questions, I would have turned around and headed back down about 250 yards short of the peak. 

On our way down from the top, we saw two other guys taking pictures on the trail’s first pinnacle. Then they turned around and started quickly heading back to the bottom. Unfortunately, they stopped short of this unique rock formation and the spectacular views ahead without reaching the top. 

I told my wife I imagined them going home to family and friends and saying how the Royal Arch trail was disappointing, but they had walked all the way up anyway. Little did they know they had missed the best part. 

Whenever I talk to someone about their journey of faith, some will tell me they tried it for a while and were disappointed. Sometimes they will even explain how it didn’t seem to improve their life, marriage, or family. I often want to say, “You probably stopped before you reached the best part.” They had a small view of what God had in store but never truly experienced all he had in mind. 

The life of faith is a long journey; some of it will only make sense when you reach the end of the trail.   

You are not the first person to feel this way. You are not the only one struggling. Other people have had these same thoughts and emotions. 

There are people all around you who are fighting internally. Many of us are battling similar issues, but we rarely discuss them. 

One reason we need to be surrounded by a community of like-minded people is so that we can learn from one another. In addition, other people will allow us to share and support each other through those moments we feel alone.

Every single person needs the benefits of community, especially people of faith. You are not the exception. And you are not alone.

Recently my wife and I spent a week on vacation where we regularly went hiking. One thing I noticed on many of the trails we used was the kindness of other people. 

Every trail had far more people than we imagined, and almost all were very kind. The nicest thing many people coming down the path would do is offer verbal encouragement. Frequently they would say, “You are almost there” or “You are well over halfway to the top now.”  Others said, “I struggled going up too, but it is well worth it.”  Finally, some would offer a statement like, “The view is incredible; you will be so glad you went up.” 

Each time someone would offer these little encouragements, it would lift your spirits and give you the strength to climb a little higher. Their words would inspire you to complete the trip and reach the summit. 

The Christian life is a long journey, and some seasons are challenging. Saying a simple encouragement to a fellow believer may not seem like much, but it might be just enough to lift their spirits and help them on their way. 

“It is a hard cross to bear when you believe God is disappointed in you.” – Dale Sellars

Just so we are clear:  He is not. 

My thinking was theologically incorrect, and my words were borderline heresy. 

I have a Christian college degree after five years of intensive Biblical study. I have read through the Scriptures from cover to cover repeatedly. There is no lack of effort on my part to know God better. 

Then I read a book that pointed out an area where I was mistaken. I had misunderstood a couple of key passages and drawn some wrong conclusions. My theology was flawed. 

I have been studying the Bible for my entire adult life, and I was wrong. I am willing to admit that and grow from it. 

There is just so much for us to learn; even pastors need to understand God and his word more completely. So do you. 

God is teaching you.

God is growing you.

God is also using you. 

Right where you are at this moment. God is doing something in, to, and through you. Never forget that. 

Someone needs to be honest with you.

The problems you have with your parents might not be their issue.

The difficult relationship between you and your sibling is possibly not their problem.

The struggles in your marriage may not be your spouse’s fault.

The complicated relationships you find at work might not be what your coworkers do. 

Perhaps, the problem is you. 

That is okay. You can fix a problem that is yours. Admitting problems opens the door for us to change. No one is trying to make you feel like a failure or fill you with guilt. But somedays, you need to be honest about your struggles and seek to improve. 

There is no shame in admitting your difficulties; only in staying that way.

Most vacation photos are fake. 

I don’t mean they are photoshopped. I mean, the people are told to stand together, and then everyone is to force a smile for the camera. It doesn’t matter how hot it is or how tired you are at the time; everyone needs to smile. Sometimes people will get angry at one another while taking the picture. 

Why here? Why now? Why did we have to stop enjoying the moment to take this picture? I was smiling, and now I am frustrated that we had to take a picture. 

Then, everyone smiles and says “cheese,” hoping we get a good picture in one take. 

We do this because we want to remember the happiness we experienced on this vacation. We don’t want to look back and remember anger and frustration. The smile in the photo will endure, and everyone will know how much we loved our time visiting wherever. 

Life is not just about what we experience but also how we remember it. Sometimes you have to manufacture a smile to make a memory better.

The same is true when you are dealing with people. A smile will always make the experience better and more memorable, even when manufactured.