Hope

Hope does not disappoint. It catches the gleam of possibility. My favorite part of this verse is that it ties hope back to tribulation. The times in my life I needed the most hope arose out of great pain and strife. The gleam was wrapped around the idea that somewhere down the road, not only would I find healing and wholeness, but the present darkness turned to light would shine in another’s darkness. This has proved to be true over time.

The beauty of getting older and entering the second half of life is seeing circumstances play out. It is hard when you are young to imagine strife bringing life. I have lived long enough to endure hardship with patience, even if impatiently, because I know the pattern now. Romans 5 is right: tribulation leads to perseverance (it can not do anything but this), which leads to character, which leads to hope. Why hope after character? It is possible to become bitter after encountering the difficulties of life. However, if one engages the hard parts of life with honesty, the character which emerges is one of strength and confidence and hope emerges from there. A statement which I continually hear is, “You can’t heal what you don’t feel, and you can’t feel what you avoid.” Hope comes from acknowledgment, acceptance, and dependence that there is One who has all in His control. My hope lies in the chorus of my favorite hymn from childhood, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”

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This post is part of a 5-day writing challenge with Hope Writers #hopewriterlife