Hope Joins Faith

1 Reply

Hope Joins Faith

Picture by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19).

HOPE

Faith has a sister named Hope. Faith is essential to help us transfer our sin burden to Jesus, our Savior.

I reside in the land of hope, confident I will be with Jesus in heaven after I die. I love God because He gives me help NOW while I’m living on earth. This earth-living part of my life is where Hope is needed most. The help He gives me today gives me hope for tomorrow.

Hope and Faith Lived Out

I married my husband David Logsdon in 1988. In 1994, his mother Ruth suffered a severe stroke. Thus began some difficult years.

We left our home and moved fifteen miles to live with Ruth, and help her after she returned home from the hospital. David’s two brothers flew in from out of state immediately to give the three of us their temporary but greatly appreciated support. Our church family prayed and brought us meals, which also helped immensely.

More Difficult Days

After several months of David and me living with Ruth, a problem arose when it rained. Her house developed a leak. The pressed board floor got wet. The formaldehyde composition started making us sick. Unable to fix the problem, David, his mom and I abandoned her house and the three of us moved in with my parents across town.

My dad had been having mild strokes for years. One home healthcare nurse who came to the house to help my dad asked us, “Is this a nursing home?” Her comment helped us realize we were under too heavy a load.

Sustained by Faith

I scouted around and was able to find a nursing home to house Ruth temporarily until another arrangement surfaced. Graciously, one of David’s brothers (and his wife) took her into their home in another state.

A few months later we found a Medicaid bed for my dad. After occupying that bed for eight months, dad died. Every time Princess Diana’s death comes up, I know instantly when she died because dad died August 29, 1997. The day after Princess Di died. Ruth also died that same year around Thanksgiving. It helped to know my dad and Ruth both went to heaven.

Hope Joins Faith

Hope was our bedfellow during those years. For David and me hope was embedded in three verses of Scripture. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:16-18).

God is There For You Too

These verses spoke hope into us, giving us an anchor deep in our soul. I don’t know what you’re going through these days of your life. Please know whatever it is, God is up to the challenge.

Shirley Logsdon

Additional Reading:by Freda Reynolds

Words-Talking to myself

This entry was posted in Shirley Logsdon and tagged , on by .

About Shirley Logsdon

I am the only child of Christian parents who wanted me to know God personally as they did. One night during church we watched a movie depicting a family in their home accepting Jesus as their personal Savior. I was nine and realized then my desire to make Jesus my personal Savior. With the full support of my parents, I met with the pastor and prayed to receive Christ. A few years later, several of us around the same age began classes for our confirmation to become church members. The privilege of taking communion was a special time for me. . During my teenage years I was outwardly complacent, but was inwardly rebellious. I developed the nasty habit of disrupting harmony in the household by nitpicking at anything and everything. A preacher came to hold revival services at my dad’s church and nailed me silently with looks. This helped me tremendously. I turned a corner and began to respect and obey my parents in attitude and actions. I survived these years through prayer (mine, my parents and friends). The love and tenacity of my parents and God’s grace got me through these years of upheaval. I readily identify with David the Psalmist when he said in Psalm 25:7, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.” Because my parents provided a stable home life for me, when I went to college my Christian values remained intact. After completing my education in 1979, I started working. For a while, I worked at temp agencies, then I did odd jobs. I settled down in a secretarial position in 1986 working for a firm specializing in retirement plan administration. In 2007, I started working for a law firm, eventually becoming a knowledge management assistant in their law library, helping to alert attorneys to new business opportunities. I am a productive citizen of my country in large part because my parents prayed for me and made clear by word and example what they expected of me. I am extremely grateful to God for them. John 15:5 is my life verse: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” I am confronted with this realization every day I live, and it helps keep me on the straight and narrow path. I met my future husband at church. After a few years of our two families getting acquainted, he and I started courting. We married at the church where we met, in the presence of many relatives and friends. We have been married for 29 years. My hobbies are reading, cooking, and canning or freezing what my beloved husband grows in the garden. Also, I thoroughly enjoy writing. While my writing has included poems, most of my writing has been letters to family and friends. I like to share my faith when I write and am fond of adding a Bible verse or two to help focus on the source of our life. Since I am now retired after working 38 years, I can concentrate on keeping up with birthdays. Something else I enjoy is studying the Bible, often with others. Blogging is a new form of writing for me. I am getting my feet wet and I’m beginning to enjoy the experience.

One thought on “Hope Joins Faith”

  1. Beth Brown

    This is a beautiful testimony that shares hope and faith. You and David demonstrated God’s love and strength in caring for parents. Love the scripture as well. Missing you guys! ♥️🙏

    Reply ↓

We would love to hear from you