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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Reason to Hope


I like the word hope.
I like the way it sounds when you exhale it. It breathes.
I like what the word stands for. With hope, there is a possibility of something good.

Hope is not a trivial thing. Hope has power behind it. It’s stronger than a wish. It’s stronger than a desire. Hope has hunger in it.

I could say, “I hope I get my article about rain written today.” There actually might be a chance of that happening, if I settle down and focus, do a phone interview, and use my left brain to explain what I have learned about rainfall.

But I would be misusing the word hope if I said that. What I would really mean is that I wish I could focus on my article and get it done, I plan to do that, I intend to, I want to, I’d like to…

Hope is a passion. You have a fervent need to believe that something will prevail.

I hope God will release my frail old mother from the clutches of dementia before it robs her of her dignity.

I hope the world doesn’t turn its back on Haiti because it’s tired of helping.

I hope my experience, strength, and hope can help another human being.

In the 12-Step program I’m a member of, we are told to share our experience, strength, and hope with each other, that we might solve our common problem and help others to recover from a seemingly hopeless state.

Hope is the flame of a candle burning in the darkness. I have hope today. I fervently believe it’s possible for human beings to unite in a common cause, to work together for the benefit of someone in need.

I hunger for the possibility that we’re bigger than a bunch of egos that only want to be looking out for Number One.

I want, with all that is within me, to discover that our humanity, our ability to help each other, is what matters in the end to the man and woman on the street.

Even though people in my 12-Step group are in the midst of a bitter dispute, even though my mother grows more frail and confused by the week, even though Haiti has been dropped from my newspaper, hope is a candle, burning bright.

What do you passionately hope for?

~~~~~~~~~~


"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
Robert Kennedy

29 comments:

the walking man said...

I have exchanged hope for faith and in faith I have found all of my hopes will come to pass.

LadyFi said...

I hope for compassion and love to spread throughout the world, like small ripples on a beautiful clear pond.

Karen said...

I have hope for the future when I see children who live in poverty following their hearts by giving their own pennies to raise more than $2000 for Haiti.

I can't think of hope without thinking of this, one of my favorite's by Emily Dickinson:

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.


Beautiful, thought-provoking post, Chris.

Berowne said...

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words." Emily Dickinson

Anonymous said...

I hope that my younger brother can straighten out his life and reconnect with the family he has become so distant from.

Secretia

Brian Miller said...

i hope to one day either sell my house or regain full time employment...i hope that onr day no one will be denied healthcare, food, shelter...basic needs.

Birdie said...

Oh, dear Chris, I couldn't agree more, HOPE is full of power in it ... without hope we could not carry on sometimes ... my people have a saying 'hope is the one that dies the last' and it's true. xoxo

Nessa said...

Very powerful post. Hope is my bedrock. It keeps me going.

Dam

Anonymous said...

I really like how you expressed hope today. The Bible says love always hopes, always believes. So , I guess we both are trying to hope.
I feel like you....there are alot of things going on at my church. I am praying with you, for strong hope to get me through. Praying and hoping for change.

Thanks for sharing,
Tammy

Lou said...

I hope you keep blogging..your posts are loving and inspiring.

Unknown said...

Hope is what I find every time I attend an open AA speaker meeting. It keeps me hopeful regarding my son. There isn't another word that means the same. Hope.

What a lovely, positive post to read with my morning coffee. Just perfect.

namaste

Magpie said...

I love your insight.
"I like the way it sounds when you exhale it. It breathes."
Very beautiful. You're words are a joy to read.

Anonymous said...

I hope that my small children, as the grow older, will recognize the value and importance of sobriety.

CiCi said...

You're right, hope has purpose. It it not a wish or dream. There is forward motion in hope. Movement. For me, hope is ever present, a beacon or sometimes a gut feeling, makes me aware of the glimmer of hope and gives me strength and courage to move forward. This is a wonderful post. You say "I want, with all that is within me, to discover that our humanity, our ability to help each other, is what matters in the end to the man and woman on the street." That alone is why I am pleased to meet you.

Syd said...

I hope that we as the human species begin to understand how interconnected we are and begin to work together for the good of all.

Tall Kay said...

Hope is what gave me a reason to go on living. Without hope...we have nothing. I found my hope in the miracles of others who shared that they were once as hopeless as me, but they found a solution that worked, and it could work for me too. I wouldn't be here today without hope. Very inspiring words my dear friend.

One Prayer Girl said...

I passionately hope for the strength to carry on whenever I revert to my old negative place deep inside.

PG

Beth said...

Beautiful post. Still following and encouraged by your words - sorry I did not participate last weekend. I was overwhelmed by the impact of the weather on our ministry weekend....

Still praying and grateful to have connected with you...

Dianne said...

I hope that all my friends can come to me in time of need, and I hope you help one person, if only one, with your wonderful passion.

Dear One,
Di

Rosaria Williams said...

Great concept, Hope. It has served us well, individually, and collectively. It has united; it has shaped our vision; it has made us tall and strong.

It goes hand in hand with great works.

Unknown said...

I hope that humans see each other as connected to one another and not as disconnected...so that we don't destroy each other and our home.
This is such a powerful post; thank you for making me think and for the love you put out there.

xo Gabi

Auntie Cake said...

Hope is sometimes all people have. With out God, for me, there would be no hope, and I hate to see what that world would look like.
Take care, and smile, with God and people such as yourself, there is hope...
Kate

Nikki (Sarah) said...

HOpe....there's so much power in that little word. great post...

Monkey Man said...

Without faith there is no hope. Funny - AA's embroiled in a conflict over some controversy. I've never heard of that happening before. I sense a new meeting in the works.

Marla said...

This is truly one of my favorite posts. I can FEEL the hope in it. I hope for so many things but mostly right now, that my sister will forgive me before it's too late.

BTW...I am from Cayucos. Are you familiar with it?

Berowne said...

I see Karen and I had the same idea, exactly ten minutes apart.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

I passionately hope that God walks vibrantly into the lives of the others I see in all my experiences, that the hope in me meets the hope in all the others I encounter, in news, print, related through others, electronically and personally.

It's all the hope in the world that builds all the love in the world through a God that is bigger than anything I can imagine.

'Least that's what I believe.

Thanks Chris, many many blessings today!

Julie said...

Lovely post. I hope for a lot of things for my family, myself, and the world. Times are rough right now.

Yes, it becomes something better when we put it into action. I like Walking Man's take on it. I have to have faith. It's what makes me get out of bed every morning and pound the pavement looking for a full time job. Each time I get a small temporary job, I'm thankful. That little accomplishment started with faith, and it keeps me looking for the next one.

peglud said...

I hope that I can somehow maintain hope for my daughter. I tend to always expect the worse so I'm not disappointed or hurt even more. It's a self-protection mode, I know - but sometimes, after being so worn down by my daughter's poor, self-centered choices, I decide to just not expect any thing positive. Expectations? I've given those up a long time ago. Now, I'm just trying to not let my daughter's heroin addiction contaminate my entire outlook on life.