hope.

[kavu478]

I work with students on a university campus and two days ago one of my guys came down with a deadly bacterial infection. We are not sure if he is going to make it and as of right now it is very touch and go. One day the guy is playing tackle football and 36hrs later he is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life!

During this waiting period I keep thinking of one thing..."Where do I find hope?" I know it may sound sappy but try and put yourself in this kids place or maybe his parents shoes...then the idea becomes all to real.

So, now I'm asking you all... "Where do you find hope in your life?"

[tasha039]

hope for me is in facts...they are true and from those I can figure out where to go from there. In addition, as the old saying goes "sh*t happens". He did not mean for it to happen and probably could not prevent. He did not know. That is life. We in this life are not meant to know what is to happen before hand. That is life, that is how we live it. Hey, that reminds me of an R.E.M. song with those same lyrics...I hope the kid is okay. It really is a shame when that happens. hey congrats, you hit 200 posts!Edited by: tasha039

[Angela]

That is so sad. I hope he can fight it off. It is such a shock when it happens to a young healthy person.

Hope...that question is what 'Cold Water' is all about, isn't it?

For me hope has a lot to do with knowing that life always changes. Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation that seems hopeless or that you think is never going to end, but you will find again and again that everything eventually passes and often things work out very differently from the way you picture it.

That is also true if someone is terminally ill. Sometimes people revover against all odds. For that very reason you only give up hope when you have to.

It can be tough going. In a situation like that it tends to be an emotional roller coaster as you go back and forth between hope and perhaps reality forcing a dawning realization that maybe it's not going to work out the way you want.

[img]smileys/smiley31.gif[/img]

[FlyingCrow]

That is sad, hope he pulls through.


I find hope music, and speaking of REM, 'find the river' is a great song about hope.

[tis_me_Tania]

like flyingcrow i also find hope in music. it also helps you forget at least for a second, of current situations.


..and sometimes you canfind hope inprayer? i know it sounds incredibly corny or strange, but i pray regularly and i can honestly say thatwhateveryou ask for.. if you actually have faith and you actually believe.. it can happen. its what keeps me sane and grounded. especially since ican be a lil wild sometimes.. :">


anyhow kavu, good luck and i hope your friend recovers soon.

[sonya]

I find hope through my faith, family, and friends. Sometimes, that is all you have. It's horrible to have to face the harsh realities alone. People need each other. In today's society, it seems as though people aren't as connected as they should be. People get so caught up in the superficial beauties of life instead of the real ones: each other. Life is so much shorter then we realize. In 1,000 years, everyone living now will be gone.Me, you, everyone. Appreciate the time you have now. If you can't find hope, be the hope for somebody else by showing them selfless love. I hope everything works out [img]smileys/smiley27.gif[/img]

[tasha039]

extremely well said sonya...

[kavu478]

Thanks a lot everyone for your thoughts...

As far as the young student... He is still on life support and doctors are waiting to see if his organs will begin to function on their own in the next 48 hours or so... He is not out of the woods yet.

[LisaOBrien]

hope is about believing in the goodness of others and in the world. it is when you trust in the power of love and goodness that you can have faith and hope. i know about hoping....it's tough but sometime's when there's nothing else you can do, hoping is all you have.

[andrea02]

i hope that your student pulls through...he will be in my prayers


for me hope comes from my family and friends and knowing that no matter what, there are people who care and they are not always people that i even know

[kavu478]

Just in case anyone cares... I think Caleb is going to live! He is breathing on his own and he walked for the first time the other day in over 3 weeks. We are praying that his kidneys will start to work again.

wow.

[Angela]

Thanks for the update! I hope things will go uphill from here for him [img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]

[katinka]

that's very good news kavu!

[sonya]

I was wondering what happened. It's great things are looking a lot better ! [img]smileys/smiley31.gif[/img]

[kavu478]

Thanks a lot guys... your prayers and concern for Caleb is appreciated. I guess I should let you in on the whole story:

I work on a small state university in Iowa. I'm a mentor/brother/father/coach/teacher all rolled into one. I help students look find significance in their lives by looking at a relationship with Jesus Christ. I know, I know... some of you are rolling your eyes and that's okay. But honestly, you would be amazed at how many people have questions and are looking for answers... I don't have the answers but I think I know where to find'em.

Well, Caleb came to a weekend campout we were having and got REAL sick. Naturally we were not only worried about him but about the other 40 or so guys... Well, he was soon diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, deadly bacteria that systematically shut down the immune system, major organs and eventually the entire body itself.

When I started this thread, it looked like he wasn't going to make it. Most people die within 10 hours of getting it so you could imagine the tension in the first couple of hours of knowing...

Well, we started praying for the guy... People in all 50 states...over 22 different countries...all praying for Caleb. Now, the guy is walking and talking for the first time in weeks! The doctors are optimistic but because so few people survive (very few cases to go off of) they want to keep him for observation and tests.

So... you draw your own conclusions...but if you asked Caleb's family where they find hope I bet you would get an answer you'd never forget!

something to think about...