This past weekend, my oldest brother got married! It was such a beautiful day to be apart of, all of us siblings were in the bridal party.
Weddings usually make people reflect on their current marriage, their marriage to come, or their previous marriage ( if they had one). For me,  it had me not thinking about my marriage, but how far my brother has come.

My brother Jake is an amazing father to his only son, and has gained two beautiful daughters through marrying his wife, Cindy. It is beautiful to have watched them over the years to become a family unit and make a blended family work very well.

{Their sand ceremony was a beautiful reflection of that and I was honored for them to have asked me to sing during it, even though it was  very hard to hold back tears!}

But me sharing this with you here is the current situation, more like the end goal. If you talked to me 6 years ago, it would have been very hard to believe if you told me my brother was married and has become a hardworking, highly involved, and dedicated Dad to 3 kids. I only say that, not because I did not find him capable or could see him doing this. I knew my brother had it in him to do and be all those things and more, but at his previous state, it seemed too hard to believe.

Substance abuse of any kind is a ugly thing. Addictions are real and can change people in every aspect of their well-being. And it can seem so hard to see the end result, the goal, the dream, based off of where someone currently is.

I’m not just using that in reference to someone with an addiction, but maybe you are in a financial crisis, a relationship has ended, you failed a class and are pushed a semester back, or the Doctor told you some crappy news. I don’t know what specifically is your current situation or thing that you think is hopeless to change or too big to overcome. All I know is to tell you DON’T GIVE UP. DON’T STOP BELIEVING. DON’T LOSE HOPE.

Even if you tried believing before in a previous situation and the end result didn’t turn out the way you hoped for, hope anyway! Life is not worth living unless you have HOPE. Hope gives you a picture of what you want to come into existence and what IS  to come if you have FAITH.

I share this story to encourage you all that even when something, someone, or a situation seems hopeless, believe anyways! Picture what you want to happen in your mind and pray with all you got that it will come true. I trusted God way back then, that this day would happen for my brother, even when that light seemed so dim, but he came through.

In a world where we highlight people’s downfalls, watch their mistakes on instant reply, beat them while they are down, BELIEVE for them, even if you have to from a distance. Never give up your dreams, always keep pushing and striving to hold onto your HOPE.

Much Joy,

Charity HOPE
P.S. Here are just a few of the precious pictures of my brother Jake with my daughter, Hope. I don’t think it is just a coincidence that he is beyond in love with her, and is a very present uncle in her life, and her name is Hope. <3