Quiet Hope

Thoughts of hope have been filling my mind lately. The last few weeks I've been doing an internal hope assessment by running through memories of my life and checking their "hopefulness levels". Frankly on the whole, I failed the test miserably. I have not been a very hope-filled person.

I've been a dreamer, for sure - but I've learned it is not the same thing as being hope-filled. I've always been the glass half-full gal, the "let's make lemonade from these lemons" cheerleader. My pastor lovingly told me that I have a "Pollyanna way of thinking." Yet, as I did my hope litmus test, I realize optimism is not the same as hopeful, at least not in God's eyes.

As I peel back the sunshiny layers of my optimism, as I strip off the high-gloss paint I've used, underneath I realize my hope has been in ME, in MY abilities, in ME making things happen, in ME avoiding things which could harm me. I've put great faith in my common sense, experience, and driven enthusiasm.

I believe that's why I can be so easily disappointed. I'm upset with myself for not making it happen. I feel stupid for, "not seeing that one coming." I get so mad at myself when I make mistakes. I've spent so much of my life disappointed in MYSELF.

True hope is not wishful thinking. That's the sunshine and roses mentality. No, true hope is the assurance of God's promises. Real hope doesn't depend on ourselves at all. A hope-filled person depends only on God. They move through their lives with complete assurance of God's love for them. They realize that God can use every single situation, every lost opportunity, every joy, every sorrow, and every mistake in their life to teach them more about God's love, grace, and mercy.

Hope flows out of a conviction in the deepest part of our soul that everything is filtered through our Father's fingers. Nothing escapes Him. He allows or doesn't allow circumstances in our lives which give us the greatest opportunity to learn how to love Him and love others. He created us, He knows us more intimately than anyone else, and He loves us perfectly. He knows just what it will take for us to grow in our faith, hope, and love.

Our responsibility is to believe. We need to choose to believe we have enough for today because God said it's true. When we aren't happy with our circumstances, we must act on the faith they are Father-filtered and ultimately in our best interest. When we are afraid, we need ask ourselves if God is for us, who can be against us? We must CHOOSE to place our hope only in God's promises.

The peace overflows when our hope is placed in the right place, when we quietly go about doing the best we're capable of today, and surrendering the rest to Jesus.

"Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken." Psalm 62:5-6