Rise Again!

Falling down is never fun. Scraped knees, strained wrists, and bruised egos are the immediate aftermath, but there can also be long-term issues. We say things like, “Get back on the horse,” a cliché meant to inspire us to try something again after we have fallen, but failure can be embarrassing, maybe even debilitating.

Failure Can Crush Us

When you falter, you can be sure that you will receive a long list of platitudes encouraging you to try again. You will be reminded of how Thomas Edison had a thousand failures before he finally created the lightbulb or how Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team before becoming the greatest basketball player of all time. However, in those moments, we are not always inspired to keep going.

In an article published by the American Psychological Association (APA), it was concluded that failure often deters us from trying to be better or to overcome the challenge. Instead, it often leads to continual failure, especially among addicts and ex-convicts. In other words, failure makes us believe that all we can do is fail.

And Now the Rest of the Story

Let’s be honest – no one likes to fail. We would all like to believe that we can do everything right the first time. That is not reality. No matter what activity you choose, you are going to have failure. After all, every one of us has lost at tic-tac-toe at some point.

The truth is that there is great benefit in failure. While it may seem debilitating, even soul crushing, it also teaches perseverance. When a person fails and then later succeeds, he or she learns that he or she can overcome. James 1:12 tells us, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” The one who endures the trials, which includes failures, builds perseverance. He or she learns to grow and overcome through trials, receiving the “crown of life.”

Proverbs 24:16 states, “for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” This verse does not claim that the righteous man or woman always gets it right. It does not state that the righteous person will always make the right decision or succeed in everything that he or she tries. It makes it clear that you are going to fall, many times in fact, giving you the opportunity to rise and persevere.

Fall, Break, Rise

This past week, we reminded our participants and staff that they are going to fall. They are going to fall and be broken at times. However, that is just the beginning of the story. God uses our failures and our breaking points to mold and shape us so that we can rise again.

To be honest, it is not surprising that the APA would see one’s failures as “life ending.” The world does not want us to get up and thrive. It wants us to fail.

That is not the message of God, however. As part of our theme of “Fall, Goliath, Fall!” we include Isaiah 40:31. This tells us that God renews our strength and that we will not grow weary or faint. We will soar like eagles.

The best part about this is that we do not need to rise on our own strength. Isaiah tells us that God renews us. He takes away our weariness, giving us hope that we can overcome any challenge.

Keep in mind that you were not called to quit. You are not a failure. You are one who was meant to overcome. As Romans 8:37 tells us, you are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” You are the victor who wins no matter what failure you encounter.

So, come join us as we say, “I will fall. I may even break. However, I will rise!”

Hope Good News

Kaleb Duerre became a member at Veritas Church. Congratulations to Kaleb… Braedon Bonnell became the new House Captain at 217 Park Court, SE. Jason Nichols has been serving in this role at 211 Park Court for five weeks… Tyler Carpenter was accepted into the program and will begin on Tuesday.

Need Something Notarized

Are you in need of a document notarized? Dr. Robert Pannier can take care of that for you. Call and set up an appointment and Rob will happily notarize your document for you. We are just asking for you to make a donation to Hope CDA, but no fee will be charged for the service.

Prayers for the Week

We ask you to join in prayer for these things:

1. We pray for Tyler as he begins his journey at Hope CDA. May God do amazing things in his life to remove addiction and give him peace.
2. We pray for Jason Young, Luke Cloudman, Cody Eickhoff, Chris McFadden, and Jose Trevino. Each of them is facing personal struggles and we pray that God will give us the wisdom to be able to help our brothers.
3. We pray for the local churches who support Hope CDA in its mission. May God continue to utilize them to change this community.
4. We pray for our participants as they rise up against Satan. Let them see victory in Jesus, crushing the plans of the devil.
5. We pray for Hope City Church in Waterloo, who are doing amazing work to help transform lives and help reach the lost in this city.

Tuesday Night of Encouragement

On Tuesday, February 3, Charley Snodgrass will speak. Charley will be talking about dinosaurs. He always has a very interesting message to share. Please join us for dinner at 5:30 and Charley will begin about 6:00.

On Tuesday, February 10, Cathy Johnson will come and give her testimony, aided by Tahsha Jones. She has an amazing story of perseverance. Please join us.

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