Hope

“Hope, the eternal sunshine that keeps our eyes open through the darkest of nights.”

I wrote that line two years ago, and it still rings true today. The first week in January is always one to bring about goals, ambitions, and hope. You feel excitement and wonder of what can be, and if you are like me, you might even kick start the year off with some change. That may be reorganizing your house, changing your hair style, or changing your routine. All of which might be great things for you, hey a little change is good for you, it’s taught to us by the creator himself. Seasons, nature, sunsets and sunrise. All great examples of change we see all around us. But, that’s a whole other blog post.

Hope and change, two things that some times walk hand in hand. When we see change, then we have hope. A new year brings change, or the hope for change, and that generally excites and enthralls us. We see change as the sunshine coming in the window after a long and hard winter. We see change in taking down the Christmas tree and cleaning up the house. We see change in driving through the night and breathing new air as we get closer to the mountaintop. The issue happens when we put all of our hope in change. “When I finally do this, then that will change” or “when that changes, I will hope again.” Both are things we end up saying, if not saying, they are things we end up believing in. When we put so much hope in that sunshine shining through, it’s easy to forget to put your sunscreen on and getting a little burnt.

You see, I am a lover of sunshine, but I happen to live in the great big cloudy Seattle area. If I were to put my hope on those brilliant rays of sunshine, I would only have hope for three to four months out of the year. Likewise, when I lived in the South. It was HOT. I’ve spent many summers getting a little burnt, because I just wanted to feel those warm rays on my skin and was quite careless about sunscreen. A lot of aloe vera later, lesson learned. Chasing the sunshine can burn you, both metaphorically and literally. You see, new years are wonderful opportunities to take time and think about goals, dreams and put in a little change in motion. It’s actually quite good to do so, but the issue happens when we put our hope in change. In the change that new year will bring, or the change we will bring the new year. The issue being, we fail.

We can try and try again to change those habits, produce new ones and live the best year ever! Truth is, we will fail at least once, and if all of our hope was wrapped around the expectations of our own actions produced by change, we are shattered. Broken into little pieces that need to be put together. This, is the moment that we are face to face with the root of the reason for change, and the cause of our hope. If all of my hope was put into me being able to accomplish something, the moment I fail, all I can think of is how inadequate I am. How could I have failed, how come I didn’t try harder, how did I believe I could really do that? Those questions and inequalities, lead you to despair and down the slippery slope of self doubt. The change we so desperately hoped for, was the root of our hope, and as soon as it is gone, so is our hope.

But, If we put our hope in someone that never fails, that never let’s go, and that never forsakes, I’d imagine that scenario a little different, don’t you. Then the questions that hit you with doubt and fear, don’t have a place to stick to. The moment the change doesn’t go the way we imagine it so, or we fail, our hope and self worth are not shattered. Our hope is no longer placed on what is temporary, but on the eternal. Isaiah 40:3 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  

Isaiah talks about putting our hope in the Lord, and how powerful is this verse. To know that your strength will be renewed, you will soar, run and not get tired, you will walk and not get faint. To me, that’s incredibly encouraging. To know that no matter the obstacle or hurdle, if I need to run, walk, fly or have my strength renewed, I have an everlasting river of hope and strength.

When I wrote, “Hope, the eternal sunshine that keeps our eyes open through the darkest of nights.” It wasn’t because I believed in the sunshine and that was my hope, no. It was during a day where I remember quite vividly having everything that I had planned, scheduled and attempted to do fall through. I was completely overwhelmed, but I remember God’s handiwork presently at work, because I put my hope in him, and not in my own abilities I was soaring. I remember the presence of God like a ray of sunshine, gleaming through the darkest moments. I saw his handiwork through people that day. Through a phone call, a person and even an unexpected act of care, a hug. Lord knows I needed it.

So, with all these sunshine metaphors and descriptions of hope, what I hope to convey to you is the importance of knowing where your hope is and how it can directly and presently affect your life. Romans 15:13 “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.” Hope is not some far away distant idea, it’s what’s living right inside you and displayed through the overflowing of the Holy Spirit. It’s what gives you peace as you go through trials and tribulations, and trust that transcends circumstances.

So, as you start this new year, write down those goals and make those plans, dream big. Yet, don’t forget that even if it does not work how you planned, thought or imagined, he is still good. Trust in the hope that will never fail, will always bring joy and peace, hope that transcends circumstances and is eternal.