Day 9: My Hope is in You
“Hope is our anchor!” (Hebrews 6:19) This is the mantra of Lanier Christian Church where David and I have had the blessing of serving since 1976. The promise of hope is our “touch stone,” our “true north,” our “anchor,” because of our Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for all of us. Often, we take the word hope as, “I hope so,” as if to say “maybe or maybe not.” That attitude is the complete opposite of the hope we have as sons and daughters of Almighty God.
One of David’s favorite songs is, “My Hope is in You,” by Aaron Shust. When Melanie Terrell and I lead that song, it boosts my soul. “My hope is in You, Lord, all the day long. I won’t be shaken by drought or storm!” My personal relationship with Jesus gives hope; it is strong and secure, steadfast and immovable, and it will never leave me.
There have been times in my life when I have allowed things around me to creep into my mind and distract my hope and trust. However, the hope that God provides has never wavered. There were friends that fell away, and job interviews that didn’t go the way I wanted, but looking back, it is clear that God’s hand was guiding. His hope was secure and steadfast. I was gently placed by His loving hands into opportunities I had not ever dreamed of having.
I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who I met in 1975 at Atlanta Christian College. We have two wonderful children, John Simpson and Joy Simpson Griffin, who married two wonderful partners, Ashley Evans Simpson and Bryan Griffin, and they have given us three of the most wonderful grandchildren, Jacob Griffin, Rhett Griffin, and Mary Evan Simpson. This family does not exist without the direction of our living Lord.
Prior to the birth of our middle grandchild, our daughter Joy was put on bed rest. It became apparent that she would have to give birth six weeks early. We prayed and prayed for God to fix this problem. We didn’t want this birth to be early. I had the honor of being there the morning of our grandson’s birth. When Rhett was born, the umbilical cord was tied in a “true knot.” Due to the early delivery, there was no distress. The doctor looked up and said, “This boy was meant to be in this world!” Yes, he is, and so are we. We all have a purpose. God knows His timing is best for all of us. We must put our hope and trust in Him.
When Jesus conquered death, he gave us the gift of salvation and this incredible hope. Whenever we choose to live anything less than victorious, we are not only harming ourselves but our example. As a high school administrator, I have the opportunity every single day to be the example of living hope that comes through the resurrection of Jesus. Join with me as an alumna of Point University and let us live out our hope.
Written by Dr. Faith Mims Simpson ‘76, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director of Banks County High School