Hope

Hope.

It's everywhere, if you know how to find it. Some of us have hearts and lives full of it and others let it go long ago.

In our life it has been the boat that has kept us afloat in some raging seas. It's true, hope floats :)

So what is it? Hope is the 'thing' so many people are looking for in life. This world is full of highs and lows, ups and downs, health and sickness, birth and death, prosperity and suffering. Yet some people are able to weather the storms without losing their focus, heart, and soul in the process. How?

Because they have hope. They know there is something greater than all of this. There is a better and perfect place at the end of all of this. There is someone working all things together in one great plan.

Lara wrote a great post about it just yesterday.

And in a Mercy Ship off the coast of Benin, Africa... Ali held hope in her arms and it smiled at her.

What is hope exactly? By definition it is to look forward to with confidence or expectation. What are you sure of, without a doubt, absolutely sure? Well, people may define it in different ways, but it all comes down to one thing. To have eternal and unfailing hope, we must believe that we were created by a loving God who holds us all in the palm of His hand and sent His Son to redeem us from this sinful world. Then everything around us falls away.

I read a post once, by a young mother of four girls... three here with her and one already in heaven. She found her eternal hope in an unusual place- the death of her newborn daughter. I encourage you to read some of her beautiful and emotional words, as God has put her shattered heart together piece by piece. (Her story is at the bottom of her blog.)

Our prayer is that each one of your hearts is filled and overflowing with hope, so that others can't help but see your light shine. Hope is the most valuable thing we can offer each other.