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My Pig… Hope

Writer's picture: Jane WheelerJane Wheeler

I would like to introduce you to my pig- Hope.

She is a stuffy I woke up with in the recovery room after my last surgery.


Now I may seem to be too old to have a stuffed animal. But I have to tell you I remember waking up in the recovery part of the hospital hugging this stuffed pig and it being such a sweet thing. I hugged it tight to me and went back to sleep.


There is something about clutching something soft and cuddly that makes life seem brighter. I had no idea I would even care about a stuffed animal until I woke up with one. It made such an impact on me that on the drive home I took a picture of me and Hope and began texting some people about my operation and my stuffed bear.


My son Ray who was driving told me to stop texting because I might not be really with it yet because it was a pig not a bear. Okay, so maybe I was a little loopy still but I was enjoying the stuffy.


I stayed at my sons for a couple days. My 1 year old granddaughter seemed to hone in on my new stuffy. I was kind of worried that I had lost my pig to my granddaughter. It did not seem right to fight over the pig with a 1 year old. Then I noticed she had an identical pig of her own, she simply thought mine was hers. So we each now have a stuffed pig.


I named her Hope because I know we all need more Hope in our lives. This past few months have given me pause to look for Hope. Looking for things that give meaning and purpose to life. Putting items on a list of things I might want to try or visit. People I might want to go visit, some inspiration to hope for.


I remember a quote that I read somewhere years ago. It was from a Holocaust survivor who endured the concentration camps. When asked how he survived he said something like: “you had to keep up your hope. Those without out hope never made it out of the camp.”


The Bible says quite a lot about hope.


“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13


I noticed this verse tied hope and joy and peace together. Who doesn’t need more of those?


I had a friend tell me about something she heard. When we go through a health challenge or an event that shakes us; or a dry dead feeling period of life; when we have lost our gumption; or that person in the mirror is not who you recognize yourself to be: get some pictures of yourself from the past looking healthy and alive and put them up around the house.


I have done this and for my mental health it has been a great exercise. I now walk into my bathroom and stare in the mirror but my eyes now focus on a beautiful smile looking back at me in the picture . I even say “good morning beautiful.”


Brians favorite term for me was “beautiful “. I can hear him saying “hi beautiful “ as he answered the phone or walked in the door. I am carrying that on. When I stare into the mirror at my reflection I cannot see it yet physically. But I faithfully tell myself “yup it’s coming” and I grin at the healthy version of me in the picture and walk away.


We have to have something to hope for, to aim for, to get ourselves motivated to try. Pictures do speak loudly. I encourage you to try this if you need some inspiration to get healthier or to have something to hope for. If that sparkle in your eye has dimmed or disappeared. Find it! Go look for a picture and put it up where you see it every day. AIM for it.


If you read this and think “what’s the use?” Or “ya ya, what good will it do?” You have already let defeat win. You need some Hope my friend. Jesus is Hope personified. He gave hope to everything He touched. He wants to touch you and I and bring us back to a place of hope, joy, peace and life!


God promises to do His best work on the things we have given up on. Things around us, our families and us, me and you. He is the Master restorer, the one to give us beauty for ashes, joy for mourning and praise for despair. Psalm 61:3


Grab your pictures put them up and dare to ask Him for restoration and life.





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