A
quote from The Essay of Man by Alexander Pope written in 1732, claims that “hope springs eternal”. And it is true. If it wasn’t,
the lottery business would be a bust. People will continue to hope,
despite the odds. There are times though, when we can be reassured
that our hope is not misplaced. Sometimes there is that hint that allows us to be absolutely certain of what the future holds. Take my rhododendron bush, for instance. When we moved in a year ago, I marveled how it remained green in the midst of winter with its leathery leaves shining in the cold. What was really interesting was that it had buds on the end of each stem... in January. Unfamiliar with rhododendrons, I was quite sure those buds would succumb to the cold and snow. But, low and behold, come summer, it had the most exquisite blooms. What was astounding is that those new buds are formed in the fall and spend all winter covered in snow. That little bud remains tightly curled and remains unaffected by the ice and frost.
I want to be that little bud. And, in many ways I am. In those times of darkness and cold, I wrap myself tightly in my little cocoon, knowing that in spite of difficult times, spring will come eventually. And when it does, I will have everything I need to bloom! All this sounds so fanciful, so proverbial, so incredible. And yet it is true. Hope does spring eternal in every heart. Without hope, what would we have? A life of brutal honesty, of pessimism or unfulfilled desires. Without hope, there would be no dreams, no belief, no faith. What a sad world we would inhabit. Without hope there would be little happiness or joy, no laughter, little satisfaction or fulfillment, nothing to look forward to.
Our lives are not like that. Even on our darkest day, when we feel we have reached the end and there is nothing to look forward to, there is always a little sliver of hope. It’s that chance moonbeam on a dark and stormy night, a dew drop clinging to a fresh flower or the song of a bird to lift your heart. Hope. It’s always there. We can lose it, misplace it or kick it up the road, but that doesn’t mean it leaves us behind.
Hope takes a lot of trust. Whether it is trust in your maker, yourself or others… we cling to our hope. Out there are dangerous lands, scary places, unknown terrain and tides of hopelessness. And yet, we always hope, no matter how bad life gets. And for some it can seem nearly hopeless. But it isn’t. It just temporarily feels that way. Life can be a lot of things… exciting, stagnant, passionate, painful… but it is never without hope.
I love the definition of faith from the Bible: “Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) It’s kind of difficult to wrap a rope around that and tie it to a post. We have to think a little harder than we are often willing to do. It tells me I can survive on hope. It’s just around the corner, always there somewhere. Maybe I can’t see it today… but maybe tomorrow, or next week or in ten years something will happen. I can be certain that it is always there waiting for me.
With so much uncertainty in the world today, hope is having a difficult time surviving in great abundance. It will. I know it will. Just like my rhododendron bud, it is there, tightly wrapped, covered in snow, patiently waiting for spring to bring life racing through its little body. Hope is my ability to hear the melody of the future, but faith is having the courage to dance to its tune today. So let’s dance!
Just Writin’ on the River Road
