The hardest part about losing hope isn’t the loss itself–it’s daring to look for it again.

In 2011, we suffered the heartache of a miscarriage. If you’ve never walked through a miscarriage or known anyone who has, let me tell you it’s devastating.

One moment, you’re dreaming of a child and have visions of a future with your kid: your holding hands, kissing cheeks, and chatting about children’s book characters. The next moment, you’re staring at a sonogram with no heartbeat and cannot think beyond the present, overwhelming sense of loss.

And as heartbreaking as a miscarriage is, picking up the pieces afterward and daring to “try again” is equally as challenging.

However, in the Summer of 2011, my wife and I were still grieving when we decided we wanted to try again. It was not an easy decision, though. We weren’t sure of the outcome and worried that we’d be let down once again.

After much grief, prayer, reflection, and discussion, we dared to hope again.

People call the baby born after miscarriage a “rainbow baby” because it represents hope after a storm, similar to the bow God placed in the sky after the flood in Noah’s day (Gen. 9:13-17). And our rainbow baby was conceived that summer–a statement to ourselves and the world we refused to give up.

When you’ve lost hope, everything in you says to stop dreaming and just survive. At least in survival, you need only focus on the day-to-day and don’t have to risk having your heart broken by an unfulfilled future.

But we were created for more than survival. We were created to thrive and live the “eternal life” Jesus described and lived Himself.

But how do you connect to that kind of life when all you feel is death? How do you re-dream when it seems all hope is lost?

The past two weeks of this series, we’ve shared what you can do when your “career dreams die” and how to “find purpose at work” when it seems there is none. Today, I want to go “macro” and offer wisdom on how to find hope in general (i.e., not just tied to your vocation).

How to Find Hope Again

The following practices have helped my wife and me dream and hope again, against all odds:

🤫 1 – SOLITUDE: as painful as it may be, get alone with your thoughts and feelings. Being in solitude, away from others and away from your phone even, will help bring clarity and get to the root of things.

📝 2 – PEN AND PAPER: again, put your phone away, grab a journal and a pen, and then write out everything. And I mean everything! Your hopes, what went wrong, what you need, etc. Writing with pen and paper creates a physical connection to your soul, heart, mind, and body.

🙏 3 – PRAYER: both listening and sharing with God is critical here. First, emote and talk to the Lord because he cares for you and he’s listening. Second, listen to what might be stirring in you through the Holy Spirit and what he might be saying to you through a scripture, verse in a song, or in nature. Jesus is the word of God and he’s always speaking.

📖 4 – SCRIPTURES: search the Bible for passages that remind you of who God is, who you are, and what he is doing in the world. Get rooted in the eternal word of truth that comes from the very mouth and heart of God. This will carry you beyond any broken down dream.

🤩 5 – DESIRES: through prayer, scripture, and talking to friends, discern what you really desire in this next season. What did the last dream uncover about your desires? What do you still desire today? Desires are signposts that lead us towards deeper truths and can help carry us into a new future.

To put it simply, all of these re-dreaming activities are designed to remind you of ONE thing: it’s NOT all on you.

By staying connected to God and who He has made you to be, you remain PLUGGED IN.

Hopelessness would have you believe you’re on your own and nobody cares. Hope, on the other hand, is rooted in the belief the best is yet to come. Why? Because God is good, He is your kind Father, He is eternal, and He will never leave (Matthew 28:20).

Your dreams will change, but God’s steadfast love for you will not. There is hope for you. Get rooted in what’s enduring and true, then watch God raise you to life with new dreams and adventures!