As long as we have HOPE we will SURVIVE

The Story of the Four Candles 

How I relate it to living with HIV/AIDS

David Moorman

12-04-2016

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As long as there is HOPE

The Four Candles burned slowly.
Their ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak... 

The first candle said,

"I Am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit."
Then Peace's flame slowly diminished and went out completely. 

The second candle said,

"I Am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable."
Then Faith's flame slowly diminished and went out completely. 

Sadly the third candle spoke,

"I Am Love and I haven't the strength to stay lit any longer."
"People put me aside and don't understand my importance. 

They even forget to love those who are nearest to them."
And waiting no longer, Love went out completely. 

Suddenly... 

A child entered the room

And saw the three candles no longer burning.

The child began to cry,
"Why are you not burning? 

 You are supposed to stay lit until the end." 

Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the little boy,
"Don't be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn,
we can re-light the other candles."

With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope
and lit the other three candles. 

Never let the Flame of Hope go out.
With Hope in your life, no matter how bad things may be,
Peace, Faith and Love may shine brightly once again.

PEACE

I know sometimes it is hard to find PEACE in your life when you are going through so many difficult decisions. The business of living life, trying to please others and not taking time for you will cause a life without PEACE. Living with HIV/AIDS brings along so many new life changes that sometimes it is hard to find that inner PEACE and as time goes by it seems that flame gets lower and lower until it finally burns out.

FAITH

FAITH is such a powerful word that our finite minds have a hard time comprehending. You see FAITH means we have to believe in something or someone we cannot control ourselves. It does not matter what your religious teachings have been, we all have been taught that we must have FAITH. As hard as we try day after day; taking pill after pill, seeing doctor after doctor, having tests after tests, sometimes our FAITH begins to fade until that last glimmer fades away and the light goes out.

LOVE

Living our life day to day with LOVE means we have to LOVE ourselves. We hear all the time to LOVE your neighbor as you LOVE yourself. Well if you look in the mirror each morning and you do not LOVE yourself then there is no way you can go through the day with LOVE in your heart for those around you. Becoming HIV+ made me a bitter man at first. I hated myself for what I had done to myself. I could not blame the other person (which made it worse) because I did not protect myself. So it took me a while to FORGIVE myself so I could start LOVING myself again. You see “FORGIVENESS” is the key to LOVING yourself. Once you are able to FORGIVE yourself you begin to LOVE yourself and that translates into LOVE for others. If you do not however learn to LOVE yourself; all the LOVE others show you will just go by the wayside and LOVE will soon wither, the light will soon fade.

HOPE

HOPE is the most powerful tool a person can possess. When you have HOPE; the world does not seem so dark and gloomy. With HOPE there is that glimmer that things may just get better. HOPE sparks a flame of PEACE in your heart that one day there just may be a cure. HOPE gives you FAITH that science is actually getting closer every year to that vaccine we have been waiting for. HOPE means NO MORE losing so many we cherish to this horrible disease we call HIV/AIDS.HOPE even sparks a glimmer of LOVE; because you can actually have FAITH that one day you can look in that mirror and see you again. This, my friends, will in turn give you that internal PEACE you have been searching for.

So as you can see; as long as you have

HOPE – PEACE, FAITH AND LOVE WILL ALWAYS BE THERE WITH YOU.

My prayer is that you will find HOPE, PEACE, FAITH AND LOVE IN YOUR LIFE TODAY. If you need someone to talk too you can contact me on Facebook or Email Me. May your life journey be filled with Peace and Abundance.

IN GOD’S SERIVCE,

REVERAND DAVID ALAN MOORMAN