It’s Friday and Sunday’s Comin’!
Practice Hope.
Faith, hope and love — they are sometimes called the theological virtues because they are directed toward God. For something to be a virtue, that means it can be practiced.
So what about hope? Hope is not something that you have; it is something that you practice.
There are 3 steps for practicing hope:
1. Take a clear view of reality. Hope is not sticking one’s head in the sand.
2. Given reality as you understand it, identify what you hope for. What is the direction you’d like to move things along? What values would you like to see expressed?
3. Take steps to move in the direction that you hope for.
A simple example: You cannot visit your grandchild for Christmas. You see that reality clearly. Do you decide then, that you will stop acting like a grandparent? No. What you want is for your grandchild to know you and to experience what it means to have a grandparent who loves them. So you consider how you will convey your love in a different way to reach the goal of letting them know you love them. You move in that direction with your actions. Your love may look completely different from past Christmases but the love is still conveyed. That’s practicing hope.
Hope doesn’t eliminate disappointment but hope does build confidence in the future that God will provide.
What are you feeling hopeless — or scared or worried about? What would you like to see happen? Move in that direction. Hope yields hope because God is at work.
And sometimes a song can help:
I hope you see you in-person or online on Sunday as we continue our series: Justice vs. Just Us!
Blessings,
Pastor Mary
