Hope is alive and well
Life has many twists and turns. Some are good and some you wish you didn’t have to go through. But mostly life is good. Even though you may have a hard day and the pain may seem endless there is still hope. So, the saying holds true – never give up hope.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines `hope’ as a verb. It is an action word. It means to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true. Many of us have heard the phrase, “hope for the best” and almost every day we hear “I hope so.” Many wish everyone the best.
In today’s world there seems to be more and more things that make us feel uneasy about the future: inflation, COVID, gas prices, mortgages, rent, car payments, insurance to name just a few. For many the day is filled with busy schedules and worries that stem from work, school, health, relationships and family. The list of concerns can go on and on because each and every one of us has different lives from others. No one really knows what your life is like. We can put on a smile and wave a BIG hello on the outside but inside we are dealing with many obstacles and challenges in our life.
However, the one thing we can all grab on to is HOPE. To be such a small word it holds such a big meaning. When I’m having problems or challenges in my life I grasp onto (yep you guessed it) – hope. It is as important as the air that I breathe. It is an assurance that tomorrow will be better than today. I believe in it! I live it! It has carried me through some very hard times and sad times.
I met a very special lady last week, Celestine Trice. She said, “I’m too blessed to be stressed.” She has hope everyday that many blessings come to her. She said the Lord blesses us every day; we just don’t take the time to see the blessings as often as we should. “We can’t see our many blessings,” she said. “We need to recognize our blessings.” What an amazing and beautiful way to look at life every day. She is a total inspiration.
She told me of how she survived two gunshot wounds to the head. I was shocked because this woman, who had been shot twice, was here standing and talking with me. She was a miracle. She defined hope and she taught me something new about it. She is pressing on in this world and recognizing her many blessings every day.
Yesterday, I was reading a Facebook post about my baby brother; he is six years younger than I. His wife posted how proud she was of him. He lost his job of 35 years a year ago in July but is now a F.R.A. Class 1 Conductor for the railroad. When you are in your mid-fifties you wonder who will hire you or if they will hire you because of your age. The bills keep coming in even though you don’t have a job, it is sad but many of us know what that feels like. When he first lost his job, he went to work for a construction company for several months that was available in his hometown and then he applied with CSX railroad for a freight conductor job. He has been in training for 17 weeks as a conductor trainee and Monday he marked up to a F.R.A. Certified Class 1 Conductor. It is not an easy job.
It is loud, violent and extremely dangerous but he carries on and recognizes the blessing that it is. He and his wife give God all the glory for the many blessings they receive every day. They held onto ‘hope’ that things could or would get better and they did. However, it did not mean the road to that destination was easy.
So, there is hope and we do have many blessings every day. We just need to recognize that the road to our hope for a better future is not always a smooth path; and we need to not let the things of this world get us down or depressed.
Life isn’t easy but “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Heb. 6:19). Remember to look at the many blessings you receive every day and never give up on hope.