The Power and Promise of Hope
I have been paying attention lately, listening for the pronouns folks use when they talk about hope. By far, the pronoun I hear most often is “I”. As a result, I have begun to wonder if hope is a solitary endeavor, something one covets for oneself.
Knowing our personal core values helps us define our goals in life and as I suggested in Part One, affects what we hope to pass along to the next generation. Just as importantly, recognizing our core values can help us discern if we are living in such a way as to pursue some great vision, some noble purpose.
I am reminded of the story, The Lady and the Tiger, in which a commoner falls in love with a beautiful princess and she with him. The King is none too happy with this turn of events. His daughter was destined for a better arrangement. And so, the King devised a test of the commoner’s character.
It’s time I offered something practical for you to try. Up to this point, many of my blog posts have offered you, my readers, unsolicited groupings of words. Sometimes those words did help or comfort or confuse, but of what use were they really? So it’s time to offer you some intentionally formed words to ponder.
I am digging a hole in my backyard. I have been working on that hole for some time now. It’s turned out to be a bigger job than I had expected. But I persevere and persist. This project seems to have a life of its own.
“A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.” (sometimes attributed to Sir Izaak Walton)
I have enjoyed practicing the art of fly-fishing ever since a friend of mine coaxed me to buy my first rod and reel when I was a senior in college. Without false drama, I can state fly-fishing helped me cope with the ebb and flow of experiences that have, so far, made up my life. How about you? What has comforted you and helped you cope with your own ebb and flow of experiences?
Hope is not something you and I were meant to hold on to until better times showed up. Hope isn’t the ultimate healer of all of our problems. Hope is a state of mind, a worldview, an attitude that transcends how we look back at the past and how we encounter the present. As you and I approach our unique futures, hope is not intended to be the automatic antidote for all things problematic.
“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not disgrace to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim, is a sin.” (Benjamin Mays – 1894-1984)
I wasted a day yesterday and for the first time I can remember, I was, I am aware indeed that it was a wasted day.
I have an acquaintance who is on a personal journey from his roots in a fairly traditional, orthodox religious denomination to embracing an eclectic view of religion, faith, karma, and purpose. He seems happy and content with the freedom he is finding in examining noble purposes – purposes that uplift, affirm, and broaden his life. Hence I follow him on Facebook because he prompts me to evaluate my worldview statement – “every life should have a noble purpose.”
I don’t know for certain, but I suspect he has found release from seeing things as right/wrong/ yes/no, obeying/questioning. I suspect he has discarded constraints that have previously hindered his ability to sense and serve the needs of people from other faith traditions. He seems to have found broader definitions for words such as happiness, faith, God, purpose and tolerance.
I mention this because my friend/acquaintance appears so happy when I see him on Facebook Live or in photos or various other video presentations online. His online presence is overflowing with happiness and energy. Quite frankly, I want some of that.
Finding happiness in one’s life is a very specific undertaking. While you and I may have teachers, confidantes, family, and friends who suggest ways to find happiness, in the end it is our task alone to find that which offers us happiness.
Happiness begins easily enough. Because today is National Random Acts of Kindness Day, I decided to pay for the coffee of the person behind me in the drive thru lane. As I pulled into a vacant parking spot to drink my coffee, I wondered what the person whose coffee I just purchased was thinking. I didn’t have to wonder for long, because suddenly there was a knock on my car’s window. It was the recipient of my free cup of coffee. The person thanked me for the unexpected kindness I had shown them. They asked why I did what I did. I explained the National Day of Random Acts of Kindness concept. The person said my simple act of kindness had been a blessing. They seemed happy which made me happy.
So tomorrow I will try to find some occasion to help someone else find a little happiness. It probably won’t be the coffee thing again. For instance, I know someone who is the sole care provider for a terminally ill relative. She never gets a break from care-giving and never has a moment to herself. Perhaps I can offer her some company or a respite from care-giving. I am sure she hasn’t had a moment to herself in many months. I want to do that – I can do that.
Every life should have a noble purpose. That’s when we will get a glimpse of the power and promise of hope – the theme of this blog site.
Start small, think about your life. What have you learned, what can you share, what happiness or kindness can you offer to someone in need?
He lived an imperfect life. That led him to find a noble purpose, a purpose for which he would give his life. This kind of personal transformation can be the basis for hope even in the life of an imperfect, rebellious individual. Where we begin our life’s journey and where it ends offers each of us time in which to grow and in which to find a purpose, a noble purpose.
That belief began to work in me when I was just a child. I heard a scripture written by a follower of Jesus. That follower was going blind. He would be jailed for his faith, he would suffer greatly, and he would be left to die alone. That man died not knowing how important his words and the witness of his life would become.
