Hope Floats by Glynis M. Belec

This past Sunday I shared a message during a worship service.  I have spoken many times to all kinds of wonderful audiences - young and not so young. I've led many workshops in schools, at conferences, and in church fellowship halls. As a church drama leader and actor from way back, the upfront stuff isn't foreign to my blood. But this was my first time ever being responsible for the message during a worship service.

     When the lovely Pastor from the Moorefield United Church asked me a few weeks ago if I might be interested in speaking to her congregation, I wondered about my ability to be effective. My thoughts honed in on how would I do it? Could I do it? Would I say the right things? Then something hit me. I had the wrong focus. Speaking in Church was not about my abilities, fears and suppositions. If there was a message to be relayed and imprinted on some hearts, then God would look after that. Once I got that thought circulating in my grey matter, the decision was easy. I said yes.

Thank you Moorefield UC for opening your arms.

And what a wonderful time it was. Moorefield United Church welcomed my hubby and me with open arms. We knew many of the people there and those who we didn't know seemed just as sweet.

The title of my message was Hope Floats. (I chose to speak on hope, at the urging of a special friend who knows my heart.) In true dramatic fashion I put on my borrowed PFD [personal flotation device] and we set sail with Jesus at the helm.

My family bought me this one Christmas.
Were they trying to tell me something? 

My butterflies soon settled as I spoke to the sea of smiling faces. The more I said, the more I felt the calming voice of Jesus. My words, that I was so concerned about, floated forth. Hopefully a tiny seed of encouragement was born. My real prayer was that someone who was hurting and wondering was able to find renewed hope in Jesus through my experience.

I told those who were listening that I am no great theologian. I explained that I was just like everyone else with a story. I just had the opportunity to be the one to share a snippet of my story that fine Sunday Morning.

I took my rock with me for another
'object' lesson!

 Before I knew it the time had flown by and I was sharing the final words. God was good. God is always good. Sometimes it is difficult to grasp especially through the dark days, but God is always in control and is always good. He was particularly good Sunday morning when we got to have lunch with some joyfully kind parishioners afterwards. Then when I got that telephone call later from the lady who wanted to personally thank me for the encouragement and renewed hope she found...yep...I understood then that God really is good and having hope in Him, alone, is the way to that perfect peace that truly does passeth all understanding.

Hope in Jesus is what really keeps us afloat!

1 THESSALONIANS 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.