Hope is a Plan.

Part I

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." ~Woody Allen

Months after my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer I got the call from my grandma in Minnesota telling me to get home as soon as possible. My grandmother told me that grandpa wouldn't make it through the night. Back then if you knew someone who worked for the airlines you could fly standby on what was called a "buddy pass." Essentially it was a very discounted ticket and all you had to do was show up at the airport. It was perfect for a situation like the one with my dying grandfather. I showed up to the airport nearly four hours early, only to miss the flight back home to say my final goodbye. When I arrived, my Grandmother told me that he had waited for me but had died an hour earlier. I was broken. 

There’s another story (unrelated) about a young girl who had suffered from a severe and sudden seizure. Not like any she had suffered from in the past. This one appeared to be fatal as it was accompanied by significant brain damage. Just as her family was preparing for her last rights something remarkable happened. The family along with their pastor prayed over her. A family who didn't attend church and who didn't subscribe to any kind of faith stood over her and prayed. Two days later, she woke up and began to regain her strength. Years later she now lives a normal life. 

In the first story about my grandfather I had hoped to see him one last time, to tell him how proud I am to be a Laliberte, how proud I was to be his grandson. In the second story, when the pastor asked the mother how she would like him to pray she replied, "I'm still hoping that God can perform a miracle." Despite the two very different stories, the similarity is the hope that we both felt.  Immediately after I had learned my grandfather had died my hope suddenly changed. It went from wanting to see him one last time to wanting to see him again someday. My prayers shifted from asking God to tell me something to asking God if he can hear me or if he understands me. These stories remind me that I'm not in control, not in the slightest but, they do however, help me come to terms with God's plan. 

If you're not sure who Craig Groeschel is, he's the author of many books. One book is called "Hope in the Dark" and in that book you'll find a story about a girl who suffered from a seizure and nearly died. You'll also learn that Craig is the pastor who prayed with that family and watched God perform that miracle. After reading that book Craig would tell you that God was there in both situations. In my case as comforter and in the family’s case with the young girl as healer. I believe Craig said it best when he said,

"I have no idea what God's plan is, I'm just so glad He has one."  

Part II

"Hope is a good thing, maybe even the best of things and, good things never die." ~Andy Dufresne

I once saw a bumper sticker that read "hope is not a plan" on the back of a truck. It was clearly an opposition to Obama's "Hope" poster from his 2008 presidential campaign. For some reason I remember that, not exactly sure why but I do. It could be because I disagree with it, or it could be part of my own campaign, but, likely it's because it's my livelihood.  

Hope is defined as an expectation or a desire for something to happen, but I prefer Andy Dufresne's definition. Every year I hope to win the office pool for the NCAA tournament and every year that it doesn't happen my hope fades, but that's not what hope really is, is it? I guess it depends on who’s asking. Also, in the grand scheme of things I guess I don't really care about my bracket. Well, not as much as I'm hoping to walk my daughter down the aisle someday, or hope to never lose my job, or hope to never start drinking again or hope to never have a panic attack again. I think that may be what Andy was referring to when he said, "the best of things." Ok, maybe not that dramatic. 

We all have hope in something. How many times a day do you hope something will happen. How often are you hoping for an outcome, hoping that someone will call, hoping for good news, hoping someone will come home. If you believe something can happen then there's still hope. Hope is in high demand, it might be the one thing we all have in common. 

Part III

"What I've found, though, is when we're looking for a plan, God often sends us a person." ~Bob GoffTwo weeks ago, my wife's grandmother passed away unexpectedly. From what I know about Norma her faith in God was the center of her life. As I delivered the homily at her funeral I was curious, did [Morris] the love of her life ask God for a plan just before he met Norma? She was 91 years old, had four children, 11 grandchildren, and 19 great grandchildren. Nearly all of Norma's family was in attendance that day to honor her life. People came from all over the country to pay their respects. I don't doubt that Bob was right. God sent us Norma....

I started wondering if I was that person for someone else? I started wondering if anyone else had ever thought of who their person was? I started thinking about who my person was. I started thinking about all the times I had ever hoped for something I had no control over.

When I needed a father figure after mine was killed. When I desperately needed a plan for my life, when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, when my soccer career ended, when my uncle passed away, when my alcoholism grabbed a hold of me, when I struggled with anxiety, or when I needed to understand my career. God always sent a person. It was my mother, my wife, my daughter, my grandfather, my best friends, my coach, or even my boss. Someone always just miraculously showed up.  

Part IV

"Standing on the corner straight slangin rocks." ~Eazy-E

I married an incredible woman and together we have two amazing children. I have a great career with a growing company. I have literally zero debt outside of a mortgage and am in relatively great health. There was a lot to hope for my life because I had this great plan. 

And then......I hit rock bottom on March 8th, 2014 when my battle with alcohol came to a head. I was on the verge of losing everything. All my hopes and plans changed. They changed because they aren't my plans. They're His plans and all I wanted in my moment of desperation was to know if He could hear me, or if He understood me. “God, tell me what I’m supposed to do with my life?” 

And then.......I met all these people. I met this guy named Kevin who at the time was 25 years sober who told how he did it. I talked to a guy named Mark who introduced me to recovery. Then I met a guy named Duane who made me feel like I wasn't alone. Then I met a guy named Clinton who showed me what it meant to feel convicted. Then I met a guy, then I met, then I met, then I met another, and then I met one more. The more I asked God, the more people just kept showing up. 

Every single person I met did one very specific thing for me. They inspired my optimism, because they all gave me hope. No one ever wants to feel like it's over. On March 9th, 2020 I celebrated six years sober and only 24 hours without struggling with anything else. 

I used to believe

• I was supposed to be an athlete
• I was the perfect husband
• I was the father I never had
• I was supposed to be a professional
• I was a natural leader

And then I sat in someone's living room, or at a random coffee shop, or I told someone about my faith in God. I told them that they're not alone, that it's normal to have a problem, I told them that it's possible to get through anything, I told them that what they think is the worst part of their life will soon be the best part of their life. I slowly started to realize that I'm not a father, a husband, a leader, or a professional as much as I lead on to be or want to be. I mean, I am but knowing what I know now, I can’t say that’s His definitive plan for me. I’m fairly certain God's plan for me has more to do with Him than it does with me. So, for now, I started a side hustle. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If you’re in need of some hope, you can always call or text. I won’t always answer but I’ll always respond, I’ll listen, and I’ll understand.

My cell is (260) 479.0885

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Romans 5: 2-5