We live in a
highly sophisticated world that is changing by the minute. Here are a few qualities
that have improved over the past few decades:
- Public awareness of many issues, including global concerns
- Life spans
- Technology
- Science
- Medicine
Still,
something isn’t right. Although some of the world lives a more comfortable
lifestyle than previously, many of us aren’t content. Individuals may continue
to feel disoriented, anxious, and unfulfilled.
What seems
to be the missing ingredient in the “recipe” of life? Hope. Money and fame can’t buy it. Science can’t identify or create
it. Technology is manufactured by man, so it cannot give us new hope in a power
beyond ourselves.
A positive
attitude comes from within; it cannot be generated from outside of us. I
recently wrote three articles on how optimism, gratitude, and mindfulness can
renew our joy and hope here,
here,
and here.
I love to
get new inspiration from many sources. In this article, I will paraphrase three
stories taken from Joyce Meyer’s book, Get
Your Hopes Up! I will also add personal commentary:
Hummingbirds and Vultures
Hummingbirds
drink nectar from living plants. They are cute, energetic, and healthy.
Vultures eat
the carcasses of the dead. They aren’t known for their beauty and energy. Well, just look at the image above!
It’s all a
matter of focus. Human beings can also choose to “feed” on positivity or
negativity. This analogy ties right in with the popular trend of eating raw,
living foods. It doesn’t matter if the nourishment is literal or figurative; it
all affects our bodies.
Niagara Falls
Niagara
Falls is in the state of New York. It is an ever-flowing source of an abundance
of water. You can see by the image above how powerful and huge it is. Actually,
the picture doesn’t do this natural wonder full justice. Here are some facts:
- Height: 167’
- Length: Brink--70 feet; Entire Niagara Gorge (pictured above)--7 miles
- Speed: 6 million cubic feet of water per minute
The falls
don’t have to be maintained in any way. No human force can make it dry up or
stop.
I traveled
there as a teenager, and the sound of the water was deafening, even from far
away. I rode in a boat behind the falls with many others. The closer to the site
we got, the louder the noise got. I was scared because I had never experienced
anything similar. We also had to wear raincoats to protect us from the downpour
of water.
The grace
God gives us is like Niagara Falls: never ending and powerful. However, we must know how to tap into it:
through hope and belief.
In-flight Turbulence
A priest was
traveling in an airplane. At one point, the plane ran into a patch of
turbulence. It wasn’t long before almost
every passenger became agitated and/or hysterical. That was understandable.
What wasn’t comprehensible was the
attitude of one young girl. While others
panicked, this child sat calmly in her seat. She alternately read and closed
her eyes to relax.
The priest
couldn’t help wondering about this passenger’s secret to inner peace. He spoke with her for a few minutes when the
flight ended. She explained that she was calm because the pilot was her father,
and he was flying her home. No matter how traumatic the flight became, the
young lady knew the end result: arriving safely at her home through the hands
of her daddy.
She had
complete trust/hope in her father, no matter how dark her journey temporarily became. Every individual can have the same kind of
belief in our Heavenly Father.
My Conclusion
Hope is difficult
to grasp in a world of strife and confusion. In addition, it’s almost
impossible to believe in an improved existence if our life up until now has
been full of struggle. That’s the point at which we need to focus on the
positive, overflowing grace that’s available through our Heavenly Father. He’s
in the pilot seat even through the turbulent times, but we can’t see inside the
cockpit, can we? That’s where faith comes in, and that’s another blog post…
“
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order
that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his
glorious inheritance in his holy people,”--Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)
For more about hope against the odds, please view my book, Accept No Trash
Talk: Overcoming the Odds.
Related Post
Do you have hope for a better life?
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