I Am Hopeless

That is what my baby girl told me as she cried in my arms a few weeks ago as she had another panic attack. It just about broke me when she uttered those painful words. How do you respond to an eleven-year old who says she is hopeless?

"hopeless" is defined as "providing no hope; beyond optimism or hope; without hope, despairing; impossible to accomplish, solve, resolve; not able to learn or act, perform, or work as desired; inadequate for the purpose"

As you may or may not know, Hannah struggles with anxiety and she hates it. It can consume her and she hates it. People see her when she's crying and asks what's wrong and she hates it. She feels worried for nothing in particular and she hates it. I think the hardest part for her is that people don't really understand what she is going through. And that, at least to me, can be sooo darn frustrating.

But low and behold, I came acrosss this article and it was so perfect! So perfect that I had to share it!

It was written by Joe White who quoted and used Sophie Wright's words and images. I'd like to quote both of them:

"Mental illness is one of the hardest things to explain to those who have never experienced it. While many illnesses have physical symptoms that others can see, the ones that occur in our minds are, in a sense, invisible. When you struggle with something like anxiety, those around you might have a hard time understanding why you can't control the way you're feeling. This sketch by artist Sophie Wright perfectly explains what having an anxiety disorder is like in only nine pictures."

Anxiety will always be with my baby girl. In first grade, she had separation anxiety. Currently, she is battling performance anxiety. But I know with lots of love and patience she will get through each nerve-wracking situation. Because she does have hope. She is not, in fact, hopeless.

Our Lord Jesus Christ died on Good Friday and it looked like we had no hope. He died for us so we may have hope. Hope in Him. Easter is coming. He has Risen!

My Hope Is Built (The Solid Rock)

By Edward Mote

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.