insight

Fri, Dec 4 – DAY 6

Hope often involves learning from our experiences. Gaining insight from our past, the hard parts and the good ones, and putting them to use.

            Hope is controlling the one thing we’re able to affect: our own response to whatever has already happened and what is happening now. How will we react? What will we do with what is going on? How will we make meaning from it, and transform it into something that gives us energy, power, and motivation?

            Hope comes from finding the most healing, sustainable, productive, purpose-driven way to name and acknowledge current circumstances. Then to adapt to them as needed. And change them if that is desirable and possible.

And what if we cannot change circumstances, even if its preferable to do so? Sometimes bearing witness is what we can do. By seeing, listening, recognizing a reality, we are remaining present to ourselves and others. That is a form of response, and also a way of cultivating hope. — Rev Gail

Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. — Psalm 130:7

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. — Psalm 31:24

We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming – well, that’s like saying you can never change your fate. — Amy Tan

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. — Victor Frankl

It’s the possibility that keeps me going, not the guarantee. — Nicholas Sparks