Looking for Hope on Your Stepfamily Journey?

I helped with a church service at a poverty-stricken trailer park yesterday. As I spoke with those who lived there, I saw brokenness in every family. Persons affected by addiction, family members struggling with broken relationships, elderly with debilitating health issues, and others wondering where their next meal would come from.

But if you looked in their eyes, you saw glimpses of hope. That's why they had come.They wanted to experience the Hope we find through  Jesus Christ. They worshiped with authentic hearts as they connected with the One who offered them hope.

Are you looking for hope on your stepfamily journey? Are you trying to find comfort through your spouse, your friends, or your stepchildren? You might find glimmers of hope through relationships, but you will also find hurt and disappointment. I have no doubt if you've lived in a stepfamily long, you've experienced  rejection,  sadness, anger and all kinds of pain.

True hope can only be found when we surrender to a relationship with Christ and choose to walk with Him daily.  It's not glamorous. But it's satisfying. It offers an inward peace that nothing else can.

The stepfamily journey creates struggles of many kinds, particularly in the beginning. The challenges feel hopeless somedays. But with God's help, we can work through our difficulties, even when there are no answers.

In  her book, Forgiving God, Carla McClafferty describes her struggle to find hope again after suddenly losing her fourteen-month-old son.  "God taught me I had to depend on him daily. ... God didn't give me today the strength to face tomorrow. I had to depend on him one day at a time. "

Carla faced the reality of not understanding why God allowed the death of her son. "I would not know or understand why God allowed Corey to die. Somehow, when I accepted the fact that I would never know, I was able to stop searching for the answer."

And Carla acknowledged God's sovereignty in her circumstances. "In His divine authority, God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we want Him to. Sometimes, God doesn't change our circumstances, God changes us in our circumstances."

If you're looking for hope on your stepfamily journey, I pray you look toward our Lord, Jesus Christ. You may not find all the answers to your questions, or understanding for your struggles, but you can find unending hope and strength for your journey as you depend on Him daily.

Where do you find hope on your stepfamily journey?

Related Posts:

Finding Hope in the Midst of Uncertainty 

Good News for Stepfamilies

Creating a Stable Stepfamily Through Faith
 
Healthy Stepparenting #11: Walk with God Daily