We have a Japanese Lilac Tree in our backyard. I love the shape of the tree and the oversized white flowers that appear in the spring. The only thing about that tree is that it grows unevenly. The West side is always slightly taller and more vibrant. It thrives thanks to better access to the sun. You can notice the same thing with houseplants next to a window. Depending on the location, you may need to turn the pot so the plant can have access to the light. Without the light, the plant will wither.
It has been said that God’s first promise comes to us in Genesis 1 when God said. “Let there be light” and saw that the light was good. It is in turning to the light that we find hope. It is in turning to the light that we are reminded that there is something good. Hope is where the light shines. Hope is the belief that despite the odds, all shall be well.
The Cambridge Dictionary tells us that hope means “to want something to happen or to be true, and usually have a good reason to think it might.” There are some things that are beyond words, things so real they are as close as your breath. Even though you have good reason to believe it, you can’t measure it, see it with your eye, or control it. It’s beyond you. It’s bigger than you. Hope is one of those things. It’s hard to define yet it defines us.
John Brandon believes that we need to add “hope moments” to our daily routines.* He explains, “Think of hope moments as those small, delightful insights in the morning that come from somewhere beyond ourselves… [Hope] helps you connect the dots between what you do today and your purpose in life.” Hope gives us a reason to keep going.
Sometimes the things we are hoping for are fragile. We know they may not actually come to be. Yet we hope. Then, more than ever, we need to turn toward the light. Annie Dillard writes, “ I cannot cause the light. The most I can do is try and put myself in the path of its beam.”
Maybe that’s the important thing to remember. We wake with the light each day. If we are going to thrive, we need something more than goals and lists to guide our day. We need a source of power and light to keep us going and to move us beyond where we are. God spoke and there was light. If we turn toward it, will help us thrive. It will give us hope.
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* See The 7-Minute Productivity Solution: How to Manage Your Schedule, Overcome Distraction, and Achieve the Results You Want by John Brandon.