Life can dish out some pretty nasty stuff and how we emerge depends on how we respond. When life is hard, hope is both necessary and powerful.

Hope is always available no matter the circumstances – even now during a global pandemic, social unrest, political issues, and even violence. But we have to choose to believe there is hope and employ the power it has within it. When hope is not chosen there is fear and despair.

I learned the power of hope eight years ago and I’ve never forgotten the lesson I learned.

Hope can transform what is awful into something glorious where you’ll be amazed.

HOW I KNOW

Eight years ago was the worst year of my life, even worse than 2020. But now I find myself weeping with joy and gratitude.

Why?

Because eight years ago I hoped against hope. That means when I saw no reason for hope—I hoped anyway. Hope carried me into a new day. It can do it for you too.

I used to have very little regard for hope until it was all I had. That’s when I learned how important and powerful hope is and what it can do.

There are five things that hope does that gives you power.

Sometimes we can feel hope but when our feelings aren’t being cooperative we need to make the choice to hope. Things happen in our lives that pull the rug out from under us and take our breath away (like a global pandemic and all that’s happened because of it). These things will tell us there is no hope.

What’s happening in our world feels hopeless but…I’ve learned that as long as I have breath, hope is available.

No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible. ~George Chakiris

There are 5 Things Hope Does

HOPE LIVES

Hope lives in the place where grief, sorrow, disappointment or devastation bring the sentence of death. Every time life cuts us down to size we have the choice of how to respond. In the midst of traumatic things, it might feel small. But it’s there. Hope powerfully wills to arise and live.

HOPE LOOKS AHEAD

Hopelessness looks around at the negative things that are going on now, and back at what has happened. Hope doesn’t want to stay in the negative. Hope wants change and if change is to occur, that change is in front of us. Hope looks ahead until it sees.

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. ~Desmond Tutu

HOPE REACHES

Hope reaches for what it sees ahead. The resolution, solution, response, or answer that will bring the change desired and/or needed. Hope takes action.

HOPE ENCOURAGES

When negative emotions want to suck you down into the abyss of depression, apathy, or hopelessness hope says no, don’t give up, there has to be a pony in this pile of manure. Hope helps us choose to grab ahold of the life it offers no matter how long it will take.

Hope is patience with the lamp lit. ~Tertullian

HOPE BUILDS

This is the aspect of hope I didn’t like until hope was all I had and I understood. Building takes time and when you’re in pain you want change right this second, not next week, next month or next year. But if we don’t let hope build what’s needed for change—change will never come. I finally saw that eight years ago and I was unwilling for change to not come.

HOW HOPE WORKS

Hope is a spiritual tool that builds faith.

Faith knows things. Hope doesn’t know them—yet. Hope knows they are possible. That’s where I struggled. I didn’t want to wait. I wanted things different right now but hope isn’t now. Hope is later. Only faith is now.

This now and later thing is what’s hard for us. We don’t want to wait.

When you want something to be different, hope is always available.

But hope is not faith. That’s a hard pill to swallow.

When hope is all you have it’s easier to be patient. I’ve lamented at having hope but no faith. I felt shame. Shame is never good but hope is always good.

Hope will give you the power to fight for what is good.

There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for. ~J.R.R. Tolkien

IT PAYS TO HOPE

Today I’m enjoying the results of the cooperation of hope and faith in my life. It feels miraculous.

Eight years ago I felt like the pain in my soul could kill me. Maybe you feel like that now with what’s happening in your life.

But when we grab hold of hope, faith grows.

I marvel at how it works. I’m overcome with awe at what God has done.

Hope gave me a blueprint for restoration and I’ve watched it unfold exceeding abundantly above all I could ask or imagine.

Some of the losses I endured are completely restored. Some of them were unable to be restored – permanently gone.

Yet new life has emerged like a butterfly on a tombstone and it’s beautiful.

During my process I caught myself praying for God to work as fast as possible but as slow as necessary. That concept was new to me and painful to hear come out of my own mouth. I wanted restoration and healing NOW. But I trusted and put my hope in God. He has not failed. He truly works all things together for good. Even the awful.

It’s been a long road. It hasn’t been easy. But it has been worth it.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

WHAT NOW

• What do you need hope for? LEAVE ME A COMMENT so I can pray for you and encourage you.
• BE INSPIRED – watch this video by Danny Gokey who lost his first wife suddenly just a month before he auditioned for American Idol. Talk about some pain and reason to let go of hope – yet he kept hope in front of him.

Danielle Bernock

Author, Coach, and Speaker helping men, women, and organizations EMERGE with clear vision of their value, TAKE ownership of their choices, and CHART a path to their promise, becoming Victorious Souls who Embrace The Change from survive to thrive through the power of the love of God

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