The Kind of Hope That Changes Everything

What Changed?

What changed for me happened in the darkest period of my life. When everything seemed to be going down the drain, and my life felt like it was over, something happened. You see, I was in a jail cell. I was in my 40s, a college graduate, played professional basketball in Europe for 2 years, played in the minor leagues of the NBA here in the states, and came from parents who were married for 64 years. I was raised in an upper-middle-class home with good people who loved me. I didn't have any of the serious problems that 85% of the people incarcerated had. I wasn't born into poverty, crime, abuse, neglect… none of that.

The problem I had was an addiction to myself. I was addicted to attention, to things, to people, to glory, to money, what I drove, where I lived - all of it. It all mattered even when I said it didn't. I went to church nearly every Sunday for ten years and sat in the same pew week after week, and yet there I was sitting in a jail cell, alone and scared. I was completely traumatized from what had just happened, and had I been given advanced notice, I may have considered killing myself. I still cannot believe that horrendous feeling.

Prayer... and Hope

I sat there on the edge of my bed, alone in my cell, and thought my life was over… and on the surface, it absolutely was. The ramifications of something like that happening to someone like me in today's world are lifelong. I had no clue what to do next. Then it hit me: pray. Pray? That seems phony, doesn't it? Of course, when you have nothing left, you still have prayer. I slid to the floor on my knees, and probably for the first time in my life, truly prayed from my heart. I poured out how sorry I was that I had wasted all that God had blessed me with, how I had ruined all the opportunities He had given me, and I asked for forgiveness. I spent several minutes quietly listening and crying.

When I finished, I sat on the edge of my bed - still shaken - but something very strange happened at the same time. I felt peaceful. For the first time in a very long time, I truly felt at peace. My circumstances had not changed; I was still in a desperate place, but I felt different. What happened? What happened was for the first time in my life, I felt genuine HOPE. I felt, for the first time, like I wasn't in charge; rather, I was being led. I had no clue where, but it felt different, like never before. I began thinking differently, reading God’s Word more deeply, and engaging with others about Christ.

Hope That Only Comes from Christ

I tell people these days, years later... HOPE is what changed me. The incredible, deep love of Christ that no situation or circumstance could take away from me. In my heart, I was changed. I had a hope that there was more to life now, regardless of what happened to me in the past. Oh, the road was not smooth, simple, or paved with new opportunities… no. There were difficult times, challenges, and setbacks, but in all of it, the major thing that never changed was the absolute hope that I found in Jesus Christ. You see, real hope cannot be altered by circumstances. It is the power of the love of Christ, the assurance of being with Him for eternity, that never leaves, no matter what. It is amazing to receive it, to be in it, and to feel it. This hope creates a foundation so deep in our souls that it becomes immovable, changing us forever.

Photo Credit: Rawpixel/Public Domain

Dion Welton is the author of five books, including Are WE Really Forgiven, and the Baggage we Carry. He is the founder and publisher of the publication Hope is Now, one of the fastest-growing faith-based encouragement publications in the country. You can learn more about Dion at dionwelton.com