So often when we hope, we are hoping for a specific outcome!
I hope I get the promotion.
I hope my kids ____________ (fill in the blank!)
I hope for good health.
I hope for good grades.
I hope for a happy family.
We conclude the desired outcome and then that drives what we hope for!
This kind of hope is easily taken away.
Especially when we do not get that which we “hope” for – our dreams and hopes are shattered. Then comes pain and disappointment.
But – what if in the practice of actively and intentionally loving we begin to discover that hope is not related to outcomes at all. Instead, it is related to a source of strength that comes from deep within us that is independent of ALL outcomes!
What if hope cannot be taken away from us because it is “love itself working in us, conferring the strength to stay present to the ‘highest possible outcome.’”[1]
The “outcome” isn’t something specific but instead, something we put our faith in that is “the highest possible outcome.” And WE don’t get to put the parameters around what the “highest possible outcome” is. We leave that up to Love and how it works in and through all things. We do our part – we hope, and that hope stems from love.
What does living as a person of love look like for you? Can you see how maybe hope would stem from that love? How different could it be if we let go of the “desired” outcome and we rely, instead, on hope?
Faith in What We Don’t See
Hebrews
11 1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
[1] Rohr, Richard. https://cac.org/love-endures-2018-05-02/