Hopelessly Hopeful

Some people would probably call me a hopeless romantic. Hopeless because I was born that way and at 68 there’s a good chance I’m never going to change. But not “hopeless” in the since that my heart and soul are filled with hope… and that’s never going to change either.

But is hope a good thing? I ask that question because some people believe that the definition of hope is simply – “delayed disappointment”. I disagree! I say that there is great power in hope, and it starts with faith and ends with love. Let me give you a couple of examples. 

• My wife has had a wide variety of health issues ever since I married her. (I know what you’re thinking, but I’m pretty sure it’s not my fault.) Her health issues include one lung that is stapled together, serious migraines that pop up at the worst possible times, and most recently a little toe that is pointing in the wrong direction thanks to a heavy piece of furniture. But do I think it’s hopeless to keep hoping she will be okay? No! 

• I also have a friend whose wife is struggling with a serious health issue. They have been to see countless doctors but none of the doctors have been able to figure out the problem. And I can see the pain etched in his face when he talks about his wife’s pain, but do I think it’s hopeless to keep hoping and praying that she will be okay? Absolutely not! 

So to those people who say that hope is delayed disappointment, I say wrong! Hope is – “powered positivity”. And here’s why. I believe there is great power in hope, and it starts with faith. If I care about my wife and friends and pray for them and let them know I am praying for them, it will make them feel good, strengthen them, and give them one more reason to be hopeful. And if I love them, and let them know they are truly loved, that too will provide encouragement and strength because trust me… love is the most powerful force in the universe. And that too is never going to change!

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:13