Not Losing Hope

Gratitude is a powerful force in this world, and can motivate us to honor God with our service. in Colossians 3, we find these words:
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

If we have seen the Lord work in our lives, we certainly want to call our attention to that and respond with thanksgiving. And, if we are grateful to Him, out of a heart of love for our Savior, then we can love those around us.  As Jesus taught, we love God wholeheartedly, and we also love our neighbor. If we are walking in a love relationship with Almighty God, then we can walk as He directs, showing His love to those in need and reflecting His presence within us.

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Generosity produces thanksgiving, and I would also contend that thanksgiving can produce generosity. If we are thankful for God's faithfulness and have experienced the love of His people, we can develop a heart that overflows with charity. 2nd Corinthians 9 says:
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

In December of last year, a massive wildfire occurred in Boulder County, Colorado. Over a thousand homes were destroyed, and a lady named Lindsey McMorran was considering how God would have her respond.  She wrote at The Christian Heart website:

We had previously lived in an area where friends had lost their homes, so we knew how devastating this was for a family. I prayed right then, asking God how I could help, how to make a real impact in this disaster.

And I got a clear message from the Lord almost immediately. I was instructed to help kids affected by this tragedy by refurbishing their bedrooms at no cost to the family; to give them their dream space to feel comfortable and safe, to give them hope and some degree of happiness.

She described her husband as "stunned" by how massive this undertaking would be. She kept praying, and the first door opened - one door.  She writes:

It started with one family that I’d met through the Marshall Fire Community Facebook Group. I posted their needs to my personal Facebook page and almost immediately had the funds and then some to build two kids’ bedrooms. Before I officially “launched” my idea, I reached out to about 20 of my closest friends, three of which were born and raised in the neighborhoods that the Marshall Fire destroyed. When everyone said to go for it and they’d help, we decided to go all in.

She posted an application through another Facebook group she had started, and there were 29 families who responded. The organization is called Hope Lives Here Colorado, and Lindsey writes:

Our goal is to help the children affected by this tragedy feel safe in their new dream bedrooms by providing beds, bedding, decorations and some of their favorite things. To give them a taste of “normal”. These kids lost all of their Christmas gifts, all their favorite toys to snuggle with, all the things that were important to them.

  As of this publication of this article last week:

So far, our team has refurbished 52 dream bedrooms for children. But the needs are overwhelming. We have another 123 children on the list. And there are countless families that have asked if we can do this once they get their burned house in a position to have us furnish their child’s bedroom.

Denver television station Denver7 made a $50,000 donation, and was on hand for two reveals.

McMorran writes at The Christian Heart:

I have been overwhelmed with the feeling that I have His support. God asked me to do this and I feel I’m walking with Him at each step along the way.

Lindsey certainly has a desire to reach out to people in need; after all, in 2014, she and her husband had their own crisis.  The newspaper, The Morning Call, stated:

In September 2014, Lindsey and Brandon McMorran's then 14-month-old daughter Peyton was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The Ramona community rallied around the hometown couple, establishing a Go Fund Me page and the first Putting for Peyton golf tournament at San Vicente Golf Resort.

The McMorrans graduated from high school in Ramona, California, according to the article. She is quoted as saying that "...just by the grace of God, she is our little survivor." She told her husband, "It's there for a reason. And it's for us to help other people and open our eyes to another world." In the aftermath, she co-founded a charity to reach out to families with children with medical issues called the Here with Hope Foundation.

This family has not only been on the receiving end of charity, and certainly Lindsey McMorran, out of her love for God, is devoted to helping those who are struggling.  She said that her daughter's illness opened their "eyes to another world."  We may not have experienced what others are going through, but we can identify with others in their suffering and allow God to show us how we can help.  It's a matter of opening our eyes and our hearts.

Lindsey shared that she had a major task, obviously overwhelming, in order to provide these refurbished bedrooms for the children whose houses had suffered fire damage. But, we have to be deliberate in depending on God one step at a time.  No shortcuts in the Kingdom - we can rely on the Lord for every step. If we try to rush, it could short-circuit what God wants to do.

Finally, do we appreciate what God has done in bringing salvation to us?  If so, we can give honor to Him by giving to others.  And, if we have been ministered to, we can follow Christ's direction to find ways to spread His love.