Faith and Hope – The Camper Part 2
Faith and hope are essential in my life. Owning a camper can be great fun. It can also bring heartache and make your life miserable if you have not taken the appropriate plan of action when purchasing a camper. I learned a long time ago that I could not put my faith and hope in something on two wheels. I learned this lesson the hard way with my very first purchase of a beautiful, yet affordable pop-up camper.
How much did I pay for this dream camper on two wheels? Four hundred dollars.
Yes, you read correctly. So you would be correct in your immediate assessment of what I got for my four hundred dollars. Yes, you would be right.
Let’s pick up where we left off.
Yesterday, I started sharing my camper story with you, and as promised, I’m going to share the rest of the story.
I left off with me standing in the parking lot of the RV repair place being humiliated in front of the workers as well as other customers. The salesmen didn’t show meant love. The man who worked there had just told me to drive my pop-up camper to the back of the lot, drop it, and buy one of his brand new shiny campers. The man said mine could not be fixed.
The cable system in the pop-up camper had broken, and they wouldn’t be able to fix it. However, they could get inside the camper and lower the camper top back down and close it – close it permanently.
I countered with, “Please close my camper top, and I will be on my way, gentlemen – with my camper.”
As I stood there, I thought to myself, ‘These guys don’t know me at all, and I am not going to accept the fact that it can’t be done. I’ll find someone to help me fix it. I’m not giving up.’ I already four hundred dollars into this beautiful specimen of a pop-up camper.
On the road again.
In less than an hour, I headed back home. Driving home was much more pleasurable. What took me almost two hours to get there, only took me a half-hour on the way back because my camper top aka sail had been repositioned – it was usual looking again.
When I got home, I made a few calls to some friends. By the next weekend, my friends and I had the top up again and began the task of repairing the cable system.
What you need to understand about pop-up campers, especially four hundred dollars ones, is when you turn the crank, the cable system activates poles in each corner of the camper. The posts raise the camper top with each crank. It wasn’t long before we figured out the cable system had broken loose from a corner and was the reason the top didn’t come back down. These guys knew this when they lowered the top but said nothing, offered no friendly advice on how it could be fixed. When we figured this out, I was a happy camper once again. Pardon the pun.
Have you ever felt like you couldn’t fix something?
Have you ever had a crowd tell you it can’t be repaired or it can’t be done?
How did you respond?
Did you drive your broken heart to the back lot, drop it off and leave?
Often, we get caught up in everything going on around us, and we get ensnarled; hence we can’t see a way to fix things or repair them. Sometimes, we think there’s just no way. We look at the situation and feel hopeless. And so, we don’t even try. We tell ourselves it can never be repaired, too much damage has already occurred. The injured party will never forgive me. Whatever the case may be – listen, my friends – it’s not hopeless!
Faith and hope
Therefore try putting your faith and hope in the one who made you. Put your faith and hope in the one who died for you and me. His name is Jesus Christ.
I often ask people, “Who or what are you putting your faith and hope in?” They look at me kind of strange. Is it Jesus Christ who offers eternal life, or is it the things of this world? Are you putting your faith and hope into people who disappoint?”
You see, it makes a big difference. I encourage people to put their faith and hope in someone who will not disappoint. For me, that’s Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10:23 says, “10:23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. “
Are you holding on? I hope so.
Lord, we come into your presence today. Some of us are broken, others are hanging on, and some are loosening their grip on you. Father, I pray for resolve. I pray for steadfastness, and I pray for healing Lord. Father, thank you for your love and your grace. I thank you we have a heavenly Father we can bring our pleas to, who won’t stand before us, laughing and mocking us for our current condition. Thanks, Lord! It’s in your Son’s name, I pray, amen.
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