Julianne Donaldson - Come, Sweet Day: Holding On To Hope In Dark Times

You can do everything by the book (and the book could be called How to Have a Successful Life or the Bible or Relationships 101), and you can still have earth-shaking losses, grief, and failures. I have learned that nobody is immune to dark times. I have also learned to never take for granted the times when things go well. And I have learned that in order to stretch me, God will allow me to walk through dark times that no amount of hard work, prayer, or faith can prevent. There have been times in the past few yearstimes that lasted days and weeks and even monthswhen I have felt as if the devil had grabbed hold of my feet and was trying to drag me down to the hell of despair. I had a choice.

I could look down to where I was going and fall into hopelessness. Or I could call to my God. I could reach up to Him, believing He would grab hold of my hands. And then, with the devil pulling me by the feet and God pulling me by the hands, I would be stretched. Oh, that stretching can be painful. But its so much better than giving up, looking down, and letting despair claim me.

I am well known as a writer of fiction, but in this book, I share my experiences as a woman of faith. It is my great wish that something I share here will bring you solace, strengthen your faith, and inspire you to hope. Hold on to hope.
There are good days coming. Today I didnt write Today I watched five episodes Of Just Add Magic With my little boys Cuddled on the couch Holding hands with the youngest During the suspenseful parts Today I didnt write Today I walked to a cemetery And read gravestones And thought about how precious Our time is here With our loved ones I lay on the grass and sent a message To an old friend: Go to Europe with me next year? Hell yeah was her response Today I didnt write Today I made meatloaf Which is strangely my kids favorite dinner Baked potatoes and glazed carrots We all sat down Together Which was also strange Because usually Im standing Tonight I didnt write Tonight I gave my son a bath With lots of toys All the toys And read books to him in my bed I let him fall asleep there With his brother And the dog I will sleep somewhere else This is the only thing I have written today: That relationships are more important Than money or success And that the writing can wait But living cannot Every day Like the widow of Zarephath I tip the cruse of oil, Reach my hand Into the barrel of meal, Expecting emptiness. I am flawed Impatient Afraid Insecure But I am also His. And because I am His, There is always oil.

There is always meal. Sustenance instead of emptiness Deliverance instead of death Hope instead of despair Hope comes cautiously In darkness In winter In want. She hushes The baying dog of old fears And tiptoes Through silent rooms Of loneliness. She opens doors That grief had sealed shut. Hope breathes on The cold embers of tomorrow Until a new fire blazes. She sets a table Laden with joy And bids the starved soul To come and feast Where she plays the music The heart most wants to hear.

To the steadfast who wait, Quietly, Tenderly, Courageously, Hope comes. I never knew BIRDS Began to sing At 4:15 in the morning In May. At 4:15 in the morning In May Theres no sign That dawn is coming. With my human eyes I can see no evidence That darkness will Soon give way To light. But the birds know Somehow. These morning greeters These good-news singers Even in the dark They are Relentlessly HOPEFUL I will wait for you at the end of the world I will search this barren wilderness I will listen for the birdsong signaling your coming I will call for you to come in the darkness I will hope for you to come in my want I will cry for you to come Come, bright hope Come, new song Come, sweet day

CONCLUSION Whats so great about the unchosen life? The detours and the derailments and the catastrophes? Whats so wonderful about the empty bank account, the broken heart, or the sick loved one? Its the privilege of seeing the hand of the Lord in your life.

I never knew how much God had prepared for me and how much He works for my benefit until I entered my wildernessuntil I started my rough-sea voyage. I had no idea, in my self-sufficiency, how much goodness and generosity live in the hearts of the people all around me. This wilderness Ive been living in for the past few years has enabled me to feel more joy and greater love than I ever imagined I could. What a privilege it is to be chosen for refining! What an honor to be humbled so that I can see Who has been supporting me all along. And how choice are these days when heavens veil is parted for a moment, and I glimpse angels winging their way to earth to come to my aid. Healing is a journey.

Becoming is a journey. Growth and change are all part of lifes test. For the record, I have not arrived . Im not on the other side of anything. I feel like Ive been running a marathon for years now, yet its only mile thirteen. For anyone who is just starting their race or feels like it will never end, Im not on the other side telling you to just keep running.

Im in the pack. With you. Maybe even behind you. And Im calling out, Keep running! Keep your head up! This will be worth it! It will all be worth it! Im telling it to myself just as much as Im telling it to you. Because heres the thing: you dont have to get to the other side of a trial in order to be grateful for that trial, or in order to have your faith strengthened, or in order to recognize the compensatory blessings of the Lord. In fact, if youre thinking youre going to wait until you get to the end to find those things, youll be missing out.