Tonight SurfaceEarth posted a short, seemingly simple post about Hope. And yet there is almost nothing more powerful – except maybe faith. For me the two go hand in hand…but they are not the same thing.
Faith can bring us peace and a sense that things will work out – somehow. But hope…aaah! Hope can move us to act. A truly amazing power.
Faith: Confidence or trust in a person or thing.
Hope: The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
As I struggle with challenges in my own life that at times seem insurmountable to me, the one thing that pushes me forward – the one thing that spurs me on to try again – the one thing that moves me to have faith in myself enough to break through to spiritual healing – is hope. At least that’s where it starts for me. Certainly I also have to have faith that somehow I’ll find a way, but at the very heart of change is hope.
Hope. Something too many people are without too much of the time. I promised SurfaceEarth I would pass it on. And so now I’m doing just that.
Hope can lift us up. It can fuel dreams. It can resurrect lives. It can heal wounded spirits. It can change the world one person at a time. And best of all, it costs absolutely nothing for us to share with others. But oh the wonderful things it can do!
So…here’s a thought: If at all possible, let’s take a moment or two out of our day today to offer someone hope. In whatever way feels right. And to take this one step further…if we can also think of ways to help people to have faith in themselves as well as hope…well then miracles can truly happen.
Please help me pass this on in whatever way you are moved to do so. With faith and hope, we can start to make a meaningful difference!
July 13, 2007 at 10:42 am |
Wonderfully written. You have expanded greatly and have created a very moving piece out of my small thought. I am enriched by what you have written.
July 13, 2007 at 12:16 pm |
Thanks for the kind words. It started with you. And I hope it goes on and on.
Funny how much an act of blind faith it is to share hope with others. We might be able to see how it affects the immediate person we share it with, but we can’t possibly see each and every person that it then gets passed on to. And we’ll never know the net effect. Yet, with faith, we know that some light was added to the world by our small act of kindness and love.
For those of you reading this who think “waaaaay too corny”…sigh. I know it must sound that way. But if you think about it, when times are tough and a person feels helpless to change things, hope really does make all the difference.
July 13, 2007 at 8:01 pm |
Ronnie, you took my simple thought and allowed it to grow. Many thanks. Namaste.
July 14, 2007 at 5:30 pm |
Ah..yes. I read and commented on ‘the hope post’ by Surface Earth. It is indeed powerful and moving. A truth that applies to all people from all walks of life.
RA, I take the torch you have extended to give the gift of hope. As I wrote to SE in her hope post, hope is everything. It’s essential to human life. Without it we can exist, but there is an immeasurable difference between existing and living. Got hope? Pass it on.
July 15, 2007 at 12:09 pm |
Thank you MW! Your blog is filled with many wonderful things to feed our spirits, including hope. Your visits here are a delight.