Finding Real Hope in Times of Trouble

“I have been dealing with arthritis, asthma and anxiety a long time,” said the 72-year-old from Defiance, Ohio. “It takes real effort for me to walk with my cane, but without it I lose my balance; and I used to get so panicked I would have panic attacks.”

Hale’s antidote to anxiety is daily reflection on blessings and her hope for the future. “I love sharing the wonderful hope from the Bible — of living forever on earth and enjoying life; it keeps me going and focused on the important things,” she said. “It brings me joy beyond compare!”

Choosing not to isolate herself, Kay finds associating with fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses on the phone lifts her spirits. “I get sad sometimes but it’s short-lived. I forget about my troubles when I’m with my brothers and sisters from the congregation.”

This spring, after two years of holding religious services in a virtual format, Angelo joins millions of Witnesses worldwide, including the hundreds in local area congregations, inviting all to hear about that hope in a Bible-based lecture to be held at a local Kingdom Hall during the week of April 4, 2022. This special presentation entitled, “Where Can You Find Real Hope?” comes at a very special time for Jehovah’s Witnesses locally, who will be heading back to their meeting places April 1 for the first time in two years.

“We’re overjoyed to be able to come together again in person at this very special time,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “This event takes on a new dimension as we return to our Kingdom Halls and invite our neighbors to join us. It’s very exciting!” Congregations will also offer a videoconferencing option for all congregants and visitors.

Faith in that coming reality proved life-changing for Las Vegas teen Hailey-Ann Seavey.

By her sophomore year of high school, painful memories of past trauma left Seavey unable to envision a future worth living for. “I kept cycling through the same negative feelings over and over,” she said. “I thought, ‘If this is how my life is going to be, what’s the point?’”

Seavey confided in a classmate, who comforted her with the Bible’s promise of a future time when pains of the past will plague no one.

Hope began to rise in Seavey’s heart. She started an in-depth study of the Bible and accepted her schoolmate’s invitation to attend congregation meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses; soon, she was sharing her newfound hope with others.

“Learning what the Bible teaches gave me something to look forward to,” said Seavey, now 18. “I feel refreshed and uplifted, and I want others to have that too.”

Mike O’Connell, 70, of Marietta, Georgia, finds comfort in the same Bible promises.

His wife, Dee, contracted COVID-19 last year while hospitalized with a stroke and died just days before their 39th wedding anniversary. “I miss everything about her,” said O’Connell.

Picturing how he will welcome her back in the global resurrection to life on earth as described in Scripture helps O’Connell endure the pain of Dee’s absence.

“I have no doubt I’ll see her again,” he said. “Staying focused on that time keeps my hope alive.”

The 30-minute program “Where Can You Find Real Hope?” will be hosted worldwide by congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in person at local Kingdom Halls. The public is also invited the following week to the annual Memorial observance of Jesus Christ’s death on the evening of Friday, April 15, 2022.

Admission to both programs is free, and no registration is required. Information on attending locally is available at www.jw.org.

“In times like these, we need hope more than ever,” said Hendriks. “Hope helps a person look ahead with courage and confidence to the fulfillment of God’s beautiful promises. That’s why attending one of these special programs can be life-changing.”