Do you know someone who is going through some dark days and needs a touch of hope?

A wonderful hospice nurse wrote a little book titled, ‘May I Walk You Home’. In it she says, “Even the littlest of hopes can bring a bit of joy on a dark day.” Help the person look forward to something.

On the day our friend Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer, we went to visit her and after lots of hugs and some tears and hearing her thoughts and feelings, Larry said, “You need a goal. We want you and Rodger to go hiking with us on the Pacific Crest Trail next summer. Let’s see. You’ve got 10 months to do what you have to do to get through this cancer and then you need to start training. Are you in?” She said, “Yes.” Years later, I asked Amanda about this goal, and she said, “A reward, a goal, gave me something to look forward to and work toward.”

My friend Pat wrote, “Often when a person has a long-term illness, cards and phone calls become less frequent as time passes. However, one friend has continued to remember me with a postcard every day. The post-card has an encouraging word, a humorous saying, or words of wisdom that challenge me and give me hope. They give me something to look forward to every day.”

When my friend Pat was struggling with cancer, she asked me to type hope-filled Bible passages and post them throughout her home, so that as she went from room to room she saw God’s messages of ‘hope’. Some of the verses were from Isaiah 41 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“ Isaiah 41:10

Find ways to give the individual who is suffering, something to look forward to—a touch of hope.