Hope

Hope is a subject that flies in and out of many conversations.  As tangible, factual, and concrete as it may sound in our conversations, hope is anything but.  We may want it, however we only have it when we “know” we do.  We may strive for it, yet hope comes and goes in a way that defies our control.  We may think we have already found it, only to discover it left us without giving us warning.  We often promise hope, only to discover that hope is beyond our control.  
I find that there is something unique about hope.  It often shares company with individuals that care and love me.  When they are around, hope seems to be everywhere!  Without effort, it appears.  Without compensation, hope does its thing.  I stop by to visit and walk away with hope wrapped around my soul.  I spend time in their presence and find hope latched to my heart.  I pause to remember a time we shared together only to discover that hope slipped in through a secret door.  From my experience, it seems that hope is a constant companion to compassion, mercy, and above all community.
When I read how “Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner,”  (Acts 9.43) I know Peter was filled with hope.  There could be no other outcome!  Even as I chat with friends on the telephone, instant messenger, or though emails, I am drawn into a space that Hope calls home.  When a memory is invoked, hope shows up without warning or invitation.  Hope is amazing!
As I anticipate spending time with someone who has and continues to introduce me to hope, I find myself anticipating the experienced with renewed energy.  The uncertainties of life just a few steps ahead of where I am seem to fade into oblivion.  The unknowns seem a little less threatening.  Even my fears and doubts are melting in the anticipation. 
Today will be filled with hope.  It is my prayer that I might give more hope than I receive.