Keep Hope Alive!

Sowing Hope

“Hope is the dream of a soul awake.”   French Proverb

         Every time a tornado flattens a community around Birmingham, there are nightly TV images of devastation, and interviews with worn-out people picking through the ruble of what used to be their home. One particular township, Oak Grove, has been leveled at least three times in the 30 years I’ve been living here. People there seem to fall into two categories; those intrepid stalwarts who say, ‘we’ve seen worse, we’ll rebuild,’ and those who just can’t take it anymore, and say, ‘we’re going to find somewhere else to live.’ I surely can’t blame them for giving up hope.

         When a person loses hope, a door somewhere in their soul slams shut, and that door is hard to reopen. Perhaps that is why, in the aftermath of a natural disaster, people come together and work to assist those whose lives have been impacted. We instinctively know that lending a hand is the way to keep hope alive. Almost always, those who have been helped express surprise and profound gratitude for the graciousness of total strangers.

         We humans can survive almost anything—physical hardship, hunger, privation—but we don’t endure for long without the wellspring of hope. What a gift we give when we say to someone in trouble, ‘you don’t have to do this alone, I will help you.’ Regardless of the challenge, and regardless of your own physical capacity to be of assistance, you can listen and encourage. Sometimes all you have to do is be present.

         Sow the seeds of hope today. Encourage someone; lift them up. “Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.” (George Iles) Someday, when you need it most, someone will reach out to you, too.

                                  Shalom,

                                  Jane