Finding Hope in a Chat Room

Written by Winsome Smith

Alone and discouraged, I sat staring at a computer screen. I was frustrated by the way my life had turned out. I’d worked hard to hold onto remnants of hope for my marriage, but each day that summer I could feel it slipping through my fingers.  I felt so alone.  God was still there, I knew, but there was a longing for people who would talk back.  I wished I could talk to people who might understand my desire to cling to faith even while it seemed like my world was falling apart.  So here I was, seriously considering going into a chat room.

As I stared at my screen, I wondered. Would there be women who were safe? Would I be able to connect with others who would remind me of what I’d been taught as a child, that God loved me even then, that He’d not given up on me? Would I find friendship or face rejection because of my journey? I had heard the online world was a strange one, and I’d never seen a chat room. Cautiously, I clicked on the button, “Connect.”

Welcome to chat

“Welcome to the room, we’re glad to have you! How’d you find our chat room?” someone asked.   Soon I was welcomed not only to the chat room, but into some amazing relationships with women who knew and loved my Savior. They knew His compassion toward the broken-hearted and were willing to listen to my pain.  I didn’t know it that night, but they would build into my life over the next several years. They took time to share the hope that they’d found as they too had faced the unexpected. We spent time in prayer together as I faced a healing journey, one not of isolation but of renewed community.

As I opened my heart to new friends, I found a place where I could be real with my hopes, dreams, questions and disappointments. These long distance friends reminded me that God would never turn His back on me. He would renew my hope. Over and over they reminded me that His plans for me were good plans, ones full of hope and purpose. With their support, I began to reach out to others who were hurting and to share the faithfulness of God with women who faced similar challenges.

God had not set me aside

In time I realized that life was not over. God had not set me aside. I had an opportunity to reach out to others. I could help.  The chat room became a place of hope and excitement as I saw God actively at work in my own life and the lives of others!

Over the years I’ve seen visitors from around the world come into the chat rooms at Powertochange.com. Each visitor comes with a story and a heart that is seeking. On any given day, it may be a woman who carries the pain of a broken relationship, a man who carries the shards of a broken dream, or a teen with questions that are difficult to ask someone face to face.  Perhaps the visitor carries hope and refreshment for others. The search may be for a friend, for someone to listen and understand, for advice, for new direction or an affirmation that God still cares. So often, God allows connections that result in life change, just as I saw during the slow process of rebuilding life with a new focus.

I praise God for the way He used online friendships and discussions to restore my hope. For those who reached out to me, I cannot thank you enough for giving freely of what God had entrusted to you.  My life has been touched and changed. I thank God for you!

Could God use a chat room to bring hope and healing for your life or someone you know? Is it time to share some of what God has given you with others who are seeking for understanding, answers, or friendship? Come find out!