Hope

Given the uncertainty, chaos, and pessimistic environment we find ourselves in, I am willing to see Hope in places that previously I often carelessly ignore.  Instead of the traditional vehicles of individual action, explicit statements fitting a point of anxiety, or postcard moment of beauty, I find myself open to Hope's presence in the ordinary of any given moment in a day.  In the reality of uncertainty, Hope is dancing for our attention.  In the struggle to respond to life's pain, Hope is willing to be our comforter.  In the angst that comes when everything beyond our control overwhelms our senses, Hope is willing to be our defense.
Remember, in the midst of what seems negative and disastrous, God is working to restore our lives.  No matter how problematic or terminal an event or situation might seem, God is working in the context of our lives.  What was good may not be.  What is bad may become one of the important turning point in our lives, blessing us in ways we never imagined.  The stories of others remind us of the potential is any situation.  Even in death, it was “then he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive.”  (Acts 9.41) 
Look for Hope, even when you cannot imagine that it is possible.  In the midst of my fears, I have found that I have an incredible network of people that care.  Hope binds us together.  Their compassion, presence, and love are sustaining sources of Hope that I have ignored for far too long.
Be willing to let God have a voice in your life.  God talks in ways we often miss.  In the soft contrast of light and shadows, a voice of wonder and beauty whispers.  In the scene of a soccer match, the shadows cast by trees exploding in red, yellow, and green tell a story of birth and renewal for anyone willing to see.  In the stillness of the moon's reflection of the water of a crisp fall evening, one can feel the Spirit's touch.
Hope is alive.