Archive for November 2009
Hope For The Hopeless…
I was just reading (and reflecting) about how hoping against hope (or how killing desire on a horizontal level) can eventually close off our desire for God. Does this monologue ring a bell? – “If I expect nothing, then I won’t be disappointed”. Looking back, there were times where circumstances happened to be a little too overwhelming, where you get so sick and tired of going about your day, feeling like a douche. Killing desire seemed to make sense – after all, better not to hope than to hope and be hurt, no?
With the benefit of hindsight (and hopefully, a little more maturity as well), expecting nothing (significantly lowering expectations counts too) wasn’t the answer at all. Not even close. Instead, by doing so, we’re subconsciously committing suicide – inadvertently giving up all hope.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” – Proverbs 13: 12.
The loss of hope is, undoubtedly, one of the worst things that can happen to us spiritually. When problems arise, hope sustains us by holding out the promise of better days to come – the light at the end of the tunnel, the silver lining behind every cloud… It is “the memory of the future” – the anticipation that since we’ve risen above past problems, so will it be again.
“My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.” – Lamentations 3: 20-21.
The picture above happens to be a famous painting called “Hope”, by the artist George Frederic Watts – clearly, the blindfolded musician is close to losing hope. But even with one string remaining, she plays on, unperturbed.
“The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!” – Lamentations 3: 24.
Just some food for thought really. Hope (no pun intended) you’ve been blessed. Take care and have an awesome week ahead! (:
Perplexed
Sigh…
