How do you define hope? It can be difficult to put into words. Hope is one of those elusive concepts that challenge our ability to use concrete, descriptive words. Belief, aspiration, desire, future, and possibility are often used in a definition of hope, yet those words do little to bring about an understanding. I think it’s fair to say that hope is something everyone looks for when faced with difficulties and challenges. Hope is something we hang on to when nothing makes sense. Without hope, there is a sense of finality, meaninglessness, futility. Everyone wants to have hope. Everyone needs to have hope.
I would challenge you today to consider HOPE as an acronym, rather than a concept. Instead of trying to define it, I ask you to consider HOPE as: Hold On Pain Ends. When there is a realization that something is painful or difficult to endure, we tell others to have hope. What we’re really telling them is to hold on, that whatever they are going through isn’t going to last forever. While this may seem simplistic, it implies a great deal more than what appears on the surface. For some, HOPE is beyond their ability to grasp. Honestly, aren’t there days when we’ve all felt like things can’t possibly get better? It can be difficult to find hope when faced with loss of life, relationship, career, or anything that we hold near to our heart. While it may be evident to someone looking in from the outside, hope may not come easily to those who are in pain or are grieving a loss. It is at that point we have the opportunity to come alongside others and walk with them, sometimes even focusing on hope for them until they are able to find it within themselves.
Where are you at today? Are you in a position to offer hope? If so, then I challenge you to share that gift with others. Are you in need of hope? Then I implore you to hold on – pain ends. Not overnight, and not always in the manner we would like it to, but it will change, soften, and sometimes, it may even bring about something better. If you find yourself struggling to find hope, please reach out to others who can help you. It’s not easy and it may take all of your strength and courage to do, but it may also help you find that you aren’t on this journey alone – you are loved and valued beyond what you can even comprehend.
Wanda Jeffcoat, MS