You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word. — Psalm 119:114
Indeed, you are my lamp, O Lord,
the Lord lightens my darkness. — 2 Samuel 22:29
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Lighting a solo flame: such a small, brave act. Hope begins with single steps. It commences by acknowledging and naming the reality in which you find yourself. Then responding with a plan.
Lee Daniel Kravetz writes for Option B that the first part of grounded hope is a “realistic understanding of our lives and ourselves. Instead of painting a smiley face over what has happened, we bravely look at reality head-on. Seeing the situation clearly enables us to work toward recovery.” In fact, by looking honestly at the starting point of your journey, you may recognize that something about this reality must change.
What does the candle illuminate? What does your attention, focused on your own or another person’s life circumstances, as they are right now, reveal to you? Let the season begin. — Rev Gail
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The very least you can do in your life
is figure out what you hope for.
And the most you can do is live inside that hope.
Not admire it from a distance
but live right in it, under its roof.
— Barbara Kingsolver
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle.
— Buddha