What About Hope?

When was the last time you talked with someone about hope? To be honest, I don’t remember ever having an in-depth conversation with anyone about hope. The only times I remember it coming up was during a sermon at church or maybe from something I read. But I didn’t give it much more thought afterwards. I now know that hope was one of those things that I misunderstood, undervalued, and took for granted. I certainly did not appreciate its power . . . until I realized I had lost it.

 

You know that saying that goes something like “the only way up is to hit rock bottom”? Well, life threw me down into a pit that landed me at rock bottom. That fall tested every part of my being, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I found myself questioning the very meaning of my existence. My heart was shattered beyond recognition. I yelled at God one minute and then begged for mercy the next. And my hope? It was fighting for its life. It was losing the battle to fear, anxiety, and desperation.

 

I’ll be the first to admit that my hope supply has always been on shaky ground. I see now that it was not built on a strong enough foundation to weather the storms of life. But I didn’t realize that until just a few years ago. I thought that no matter what happened, I had enough faith, said enough prayers, and had enough self-control to get through anything. However, that was not the case. And so, when the unexpected happened, when the devastation surpassed my comprehension, I wasn’t prepared. I wasn’t equipped. My foundation was too weak to go to battle.

 

That time in my life is still hard for me to revisit. It can still cause me to grasp for air, and I know that if I’m not careful I will once again become paralyzed by fear and doubt and hopelessness. The journey has been dark and painful and long. But . . . it has also been beautiful and enlightening and empowering.

 

I never imagined that I would ever use such positive words to describe such a heartbreaking experience. Believe me, while it was happening, and even years afterwards, it was anything but positive. But I am here now. I see things through a different lens now. My foundation is stronger now. A big part of that transformation was coming to understand and embracing the power of hope.

 

As I mentioned earlier, I thought I had enough faith. I thought I prayed enough. I thought I had enough self-control. On top of that, I didn’t quite get hope – what it was, where to find it, or how to hang on to it. And here’s where the beautiful, the enlightening, and the empowering part comes in.

 

You know that rock bottom place I talked about? It was in that dark and hopeless place that I found true Hope. I now understand that there are two kinds of hope. There is the worldly, close-your-eyes, cross-your-fingers kind that is based on wishful thinking – hoping something will happen according to our wants and desires. And then there is Hope. This kind of Hope transcends our human understanding or capabilities. It is about fully believing, fully trusting, and fully surrendering to Someone far greater than ourselves. It is this kind of Hope that builds a strong foundation and equips us for whatever this life may present. This kind of Hope leads us to a place that is filled with Light, Love, Joy, and Peace. This is the kind of Hope I want.

 

But where do we find this kind of Hope? 

 

Let’s start with a prayer.