On Hope

"They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength . . ." Isaiah 40:31

Sometimes it is very difficult to hope, yet hope is part of what it means to be Christian. We hope for a better tomorrow, a better world, and a better life. In this season of Advent, we hope for the coming of Christ, and a Christmas in which there will truly be peace on earth.

Many years ago, a boss of mine gave me a card with the following quote which I still have on my bureau:

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all." - Emily Dickinson

I read those words and it reminds me that deep inside, even on days when it seems that there is little reason to hope, there is still hope inside of me.

To be human is to hope, because if we ever lose all hope, we cease to have any reason to live. We hope because no matter how bad life is, we trust that tomorrow may be just a little bit better. We believe that God will come to our aid, that life has a purpose, that the sorrow and despair we may feel are only temporary. We hold on for one more day. We continue to hope.