And there I will give her

       her vineyards

and make the Valley of Achor

       a door of hope.

             Hosea 2. 15

(Achor literally means

          trouble.

So in that hard dark valley

    of trouble and dismay,

God makes a door of hope.

In the most unexpected ways

   and unlikely circumstances,

God guides and provides

            a door of hope.

It is not that "God shows up,"

  but we recognize

            He is already here

            and already working,

right here with us

    and way ahead of us.

God brings us through

  to a different dimension

                   of Himself.)

O LORD,

This hard situation,

these dark circumstances,

this overwhelming place

have not taken You

            by surprise.

But in these moments

  we realize our help

            is in You alone.

How we respond to crisis

   reveals our hearts

and on Whom we find strength.

O LORD, provide a threshold

    through this despair

to draw many right to You.

Your hope is that on which

we are not just strengthened

    but we can stake our lives.

Someday

we will be utterly surprised

    by what You are doing

    through this.