It amazes me how it is human nature to lose hope. In the past few days, I have had a little experience in this (as I’m sure we all have) and have realized that when we lose hope and faith, it is usually not in others or in God but rather in ourselves. Even though it is a gradual process, it usually hits us only when we reach rock bottom.

I recently went into a professor’s office and told him that I wasn’t happy with myself academically. Over an hour later, I had heard what I needed to hear but the funny thing was, I had already said every piece of wisdom he had to offer to myself in the months prior. Less than 24 hours later, I had come full circle and I was now the confidante. A friend called me saying he was in a very similar situation to mine and needed someone to tell him he can persevere. Not only are we both hard-pressed academically, we are able to share something deeper. We both had reached the point of the man in the parable, humbling ourselves to another in hopes to better our situation. We all took that big leap of faith necessary to get us out of the mess we got ourselves into. These don’t have to be grandiose acts but rather a simple prayer and a text message to a friend, which I feel, makes the word “humbling” less intimidating. And the good news is that God was listening to all of us whether it is directly or through his many workers.

It is no coincidence God provides us with a piece of hope half way through the Lenten season. At this point, I know I have broken my resolutions, have not kept “the reason for the season” in mind, and lost sight of what it is I am trying to accomplish through my faith. It is always reassuring to know that despite the struggle and the necessity of bringing ourselves to sanity again God is always there to welcome us with reassuring words and open arms. We all know this about Him and His love for us, but God has that “sixth sense” about Him that brings these comforts to us in times of need. So now, when we humble ourselves, we know we can do so without shame or remorse but rather with pride and determination.