Being people of Southern California, it is doubtful that there is one who has never enjoyed a day at the beach. On a lot of occasions, we see either the yellow flag signaling caution or the red one that announces danger. What a thrill it is to stand there and just watch, mesmerized, on one of those days where the waves are huge and pounding. Whenever there is a storm in Mexico we can usually plan on these giant waves. Their power is so great that there are times they have thrown all the sand up onto the parking lot and sometimes even the sidewalk. You can even feel their thunder resonating in your own body. Man has been able to come up with many solutions to human problems, but never have we been able to control the oceans. No, they control us. Many a vessel has been taken over by the power of the sea. Fight as they may, strong and determined captains have lost the battle against this amazing power.
What does this have to do with us? As human beings, many times we find ourselves to be powerless to steer ourselves through our own troubled waters. Our problems rise up against us like giant waves, often engulfing us and pulling us under. Perhaps a day has come and you find yourself being faced with a divorce. Maybe you hear the dreadful words from your doctor – “You have a terminal disease.” Then again, you loose your job, which leads to loosing your home and you find yourself in financial ruin. You may be facing something all together different, but the analogy remains the same. You feel lost and powerless and unable to turn it all around. You have hit the “perfect storm.”
We love to stand, safe on the shore, and watch the thundering surf. It has amazing power and it is awesome. Do not let your difficulties drown you. You don’t have to. You see, there is a good and wonderful power if we just look for it; mighty and strong like the ocean waves. It is found in others, our own personal lifeguards. Reach out and grab on to one. You may just need someone to listen to you. You may need someone that has been through all this before you, and having gone down your road, can offer you good advice. You need others that can be your inner tube so you can begin to float above your pain, depression or sorrow. There is always hope for tomorrow. Like little Annie sang in the well know musical, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” You may be tired of hearing that or think of it as trite, but the truth is… it will.
If you feel as though you are up against a problem that is crashing down over you, we invite you to search through this website for help. You might look at it this way, alone you are just one weak link. At Joy of Hope you will find a chain. There is great power when we are all linked together. It has been said that there is safety in numbers. There is also amazing power in numbers. Even just two people linked together are stronger than when one stands alone. If you would like to communicate with us, please send an email to info@joyofhope.org
Should you be wondering who we are, well we are just other people on the same life’s journey you are on. But we have a mission and a purpose and that is just to care about others – about you.