Joan, France, And Our Journey To Hold On To Hope
In the village of Domremy, France, in the year 1412, was born a girl named Joan. As a young girl, Joan and her friends often discussed the current affairs of their beloved country, France, striving always to be optimistic in spite of their growing fears.
One day when Joan was twelve, a friend divulged to her the truth about their country: France was in trouble, and with the odds stacked so high against them, the people of France were doomed to lose their freedom.
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“The case of France hopeless? Why should you think that? Tell me!” demanded Joan.
Joan’s friend proceeded to list the many reasons why France was about to fall to England.
Though Joan agreed with every fact that was shared, she refused to believe that the day for hoping was past. This enduring hope was conveyed in the conversation that followed:
Hope For France
“France will rise again. You shall see,” stated Joan with confidence.
“Rise? – with this burden of English armies on her back!” replied her well-meaning friend.
“She will cast it off; she will trample it under foot!” Joan cried, with great spirit.
“Without soldiers to fight with?” her friend asked in dismay.
“The drums will summon them. They will answer, and they will march,” Joan cried triumphantly.
“March to the rear, as usual?” wondered her friend.
Joan, as if seeing a vision before her eyes, cried out: “No; to the front – ever to the front – always to the front! You shall see.”
“And the pauper King?” came the next question.
“He will mount his throne – he will wear his crown,” rallied Joan.
“Well, of a truth this makes one’s head dizzy. Why, if | could believe that in thirty years from now the English domination would be broken and the French monarch’s head find itself hooped with a real crown of sovereignty.” The friend was truly perplexed.
“Both will have happened before two years are sped,” Joan prophesied.
“Indeed? and who is going to perform all these sublime impossibilities?” Came the puzzled query.
“God,” replied Joan, with a conviction not of this world.
by Paris Bordon (Public Domain)
The Armor of God
At the age of sixteen, after receiving personal revelation about the role she would play in the rescue of her country, Joan of Arc led an army of men across France, despite having no military experience.
She wore a suit of armor “made exactly for her body” (in the words of one eyewitness), and carried a banner with a picture of “Our Savior” holding the world .
“She reformed the troops by expelling the prostitutes from the camp (sometimes at sword point, according to several eyewitnesses) and requiring the soldiers to go to church and confession, give up swearing, and refrain from looting or harassing the civilian population.”
In the end, Joan of Arc inspired her country and helped to restore the throne to a French king.
Joan of Arc had hope for her country, even when that hope was in short supply.
Read more of Joan’s story
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
Our Journey To Hold On To Hope
Today, when the state of our country and world feels increasingly hopeless, let us, like Joan in France, hold on to hope. Hope springs forth when we put on the armor of God, mount our figurative horses, move to the frontlines, our testimonies of Jesus Christ held high for the world to see, and lead the way into the Millennium, where our God will appear in robes of red and be restored to His rightful throne.
3 Ways To Hold On To Hope
Are you seeking hope in a world filled with hopelessness?
Consider these three inspiring ways to increase hope in your life:
1
Reawaken Wonder
The reawakening of wonder in one’s life naturally produces more hope.
Yes–that same wonder you had as a child!
Those who are struck by the deeper aspect of things finds the immediate aims of life vanishing before them–even though only for so long as their vision of the face of the world moves them to wonder.
Joseph Pieper, Leisure: The Basis of culture, 112
Ask yourself–What in life excites you?
What brings about feelings of child-like wonder?
If you are unsure how to answer those questions and would like to reawaken the wonder in your life, check out this post for inspiration. It includes a list of qualities, activity ideas, and resources.
Free Download
Reawaken your sense of WONDER with this free Wonder Checklist!
2
Reach Outward
We can hold on to hope by connecting with others. Choose to intentionally reach outward by:
- calling a friend
- smiling at a stranger
- seeking opportunities to serve
- praying to God for inspiration on how to move forward
The moment we change our thinking and start connecting with God, we start connecting with His plans, which always exceed our small plans.
Daniel Jay Gokey
3
Put On The Armor Of God
Arming oneself with the armor of God indicates one’s desire to be protected from spiritual warfare and the fiery darts of the adversary. The following scripture verses can inspire you as you prepare to put on the armor of God:
Belt of Truth
“…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. — John 16:13
Breastplate of Righteousness
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” — 1 Timothy 2:22
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” — Isaiah 52:7
Shield of Faith
“And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.” — Moroni 7:33
Helmet of Salvation
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” — Isaiah 12:2
Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” — Hebrews 4:12
Download a free copy of the poem
Hope Is the Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson
Finding Hope
In conclusion, Joan of Arc epitomized hope in her effort to save her beloved France.
Like Joan, we, too, can hold on to hope amid the uncertainty of the future.
Hope Is The Thing With Feathers
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
— Emily Dickinson 1830-1886
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Art Credit:
Joan of Arc by Jules Basien-Lepage, 1879 (Public Domain)
Portrait of a Man in Armor with Two Pages by Paris Bordon (Public Domain)
