We live in a different world today – even from 10 years ago. Change is all around us, and sometimes we feel “HOPELESS.” What is HOPE? Webster’s says it is a “feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” The verb definition is to “want something to happen or to be the case.”
We all know people who are hopeful, non-hopeful, or pessimistic. One can think life is unfair and have the attitude “Why me?” Or one can think, “I can handle this and never have a thought of why this happened to me – it just did.” We all face setbacks and wonder whether we’re going to get by. We all know what it’s like to feel you’re on the brink of disaster. Many of us know what has happened to a loved when all hope was lost or they lost all hope.
Most trials and tribulations affect us based on how we react to them. One of the most important strengths we have in life is hope or being hopeful and it can determine the outcome of everything. Hope in our lives creates positive emotions, reduces stress, creates self-worth, improves social relationships, and in general, makes us happier. Each day and whatever it may bring is faced head on with hope and optimism.
Along with hope comes belief. Referring back to Webster’s – a synonym for hope is belief.
Christmas is a celebration of God’s gift of hope for the world. Jesus, the Son of God, was sent to us to forgive us for our many sins and shortcomings and to provide us with life everlasting and hope on a daily basis. We just have to believe and ask him to be our Lord and Savior and make him the center of our life.
During the Christmas season, let’s fill our souls to overflowing with belief, hope, and being hopeful for a better world or, on a smaller scale, a better family life, a better workplace, or neighborhood. If we have an overflow within ourselves, it will spill over and add hope to someone else’s life. It occurs every day with a smile, a touch, a word of encouragement, and a faithful prayer. My prayer and “hope” for anyone reading is that your Christmas and New Year are filled with health, happiness, and hope to last throughout 2020.
