This Is Hope

Alycia, asked me to write about hope. I told you once that hope saved my life. What more is there to say after that? A lot.

Things like:
Hope is turning to the next page, and believing the story will get better.

Hope is planning for tomorrow, and believing that tomorrow will come, bringing with it the possibility of being better than today.

Hope is the love reflected in my daughter's eyes.

Hope is singing that song one more time, loudly, as I feel the words wash over my soul.

Hope is a second chance. A third chance. A fourth chance.

Hope is eating dinner, because I am choosing life.

Hope is eating dinner, and believing that there will be more food available tomorrow. And the next day.

Hope is allowing myself to dream, and believing those dreams can come true.

Hope is expecting something better, even when all the signs point in the other direction.

Hope is believing that this is not the end.

More than all of those things is this - the most important thing I could ever tell you about hope: Hope is found in Jesus.

Hope is confession, repentance, forgiveness. Honesty and truth, even when it is hard to say the words and to make the changes. Having faith that I will not be turned away.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 
Romans 5:1-2 

Hope is being able to pray. At any time. In any place. Always assured of being heard by the Most High God. Knowing that those prayers are like incense, permeating the very air of heaven.

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. 
Psalm 141:2 

Hope is praise and worship. Connecting with Jesus. Believing that He is worthy - more than worthy - of all praise.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 
Psalm 96:4 

Hope is not doing life on my strength alone. He helps me. Every day.

For the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. 
Isaiah 12:2b

Hope is knowing that heaven is in my future. Not today. Not right now. Not at a time of my choosing. But one day, heaven.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 
Revelation 21:3-4

Hope is my daily action.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 
Romans 12:12

Hope is found in Jesus.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

What does hope mean to you?

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This post is part of a chain of hope. Sometimes you feel the need to ask someone else to write something. If nothing else but to become inspired yet again. Each person who shares their thoughts on hope asks three more people to add their words, to write about hope in whatever way they want.

My three people:
Jennie - who has a beautiful spirit. Her memoir is the first thing I read each Monday, and she reminded me this morning of the Name of Jesus.

Amy - who inspires me to reach farther, love deeper, give more, and live with less fear.

Adrienne - who makes me laugh, makes me think, and encourages me in the journey of schooling at home.

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If you do not know my friend Alycia, you can find her at Diary of "and frankly..." where she lives out hope in words. She also has a book, Deciding to Dance. It is a memoir about mental illness of a spouse, domestic violence, children, divorce, and suicide. It is also the story of learning to step into the dance of life again.

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