Hope for the hopeless

I’m wrapping up the cover design for my memoir and making final copy-edit changes in preparation for sending it to be printed. I have the arduous task of summarizing the content of the book on the back cover, and utilizing the front and back flaps in such a manner that patrons would be inspired to buy it. I’m told that this copy is vitally important to selling books in bookstores. Potential patrons will first look at the cover; pick it up if it looks interesting enough; read the back cover; if still interested read the flaps; and make up their minds in just seconds to buy or fly…

Yikes!

I hope I get it right; pray for me will ya…

I talked to a well known Christian author the other day who consulted with me concerning the marketing of my book. She told me something fascinating, “82% of the people in the United States have lost hope”. I’m personally brimming with hope and was quick to question her statistics, and she mentioned things that people have lost hope in such as: marriage, a wayward child, parents, the United States government, escaping alcoholism or drug addiction, finance, a sibling, or friend, their job, (or finding one), happiness, achieving global peace, success, politicians, discovering love, or life in general.

I thought about this and drifted back to a time when I’d lost hope in all of the above and more.

In fact I’d reached the point where I felt that suicide was my only viable option and I was finally ready to pull the trigger. And for good reason, by the time I’d reached age 24 I was already a violent criminal who packed a .357 magnum revolver; I had a prison record; I’d been kicked out of the military as a diagnosed sociopath; I’d been an alcoholic since my teens; I’d been through a nasty divorce; I was a drug addict helplessly addicted to methamphetamine and heroin; my family had given up on me; I was homeless, penniless, and didn’t have a single friend; I didn’t believe in God and was as mean and vicious as a rabid dog. I was all alone and mired in abject squalor and by all rights should been locked away in prison, committed to an insane asylum, or dead, buried, and forgotten by now.

Instead I ended up happily married to the woman of my dreams with three successful happy sons and seven grandchildren. I achieved stunning business and financial success, and even sold one of the twelve companies that I’ve founded for $75 million dollars. I reconciled with my family, became a pillar of society, received numerous awards, accolades, and worldwide media attention, and now have friends all over the world.

If you ask me today, “Is there any hope for the hopeless?”
My answer is simply: Yes!

The promotional materials for my book will not reveal how I overcame such enormous adversity; the people at bookstores will have to read the book to find out how I did it. You on the other hand will find out for free by reading the verse below.

Please note that although I’ve just saved you the price of the book, I still want you to buy one so that you will give it to someone who is facing adversity in their life in order that they too might overcome the adversity in their lives. (And before you ask, yes I’m going to offer WFTD readers a substantial discount and even an autographed copy to those who want it.)

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.