Hope

Guest Commentary for March 4, 2010 edition

By Pastor Steve Myers - Living Way Foursquare Church

(Updated: Thursday, March 04, 2010, 12:00 AM)

"Once you choose hope, anything's possible." ~Christopher Reeve

Hope. It is such a small word with a large, all-encompassing tone of optimism.

I recently received a call from my brother-in-law. His voice had a quiver of desperation as he began telling me about the recent downturn in business.

He is by profession a private investigator. Not the Mickey Spillane-cigar smoke-filling-the-room type of private eye, but the hard working-video taping, catch the fraudulent claimant, kind of private eye.

It seems the companies needing his services have become as rare as tax cuts in this present economy. His loss of income has begun a downward spiral leading to financial hardship and despair.

"What have I done wrong?" he asked me. He is aware of the implications and the change it will bring to his loving wife and high school cheerleader daughter.

As a Pastor, it is a story I have heard too many times in the past several years. It hits harder this time because it is so close to home. We spoke for nearly two hours about his physical and financial needs and how he could begin to see this as an opportunity to start again; to hit the reset button in his life.

After assessing the limited options, he is now on his way dealing with the various lenders and financial institutions that have caused him to be stuck in fear and consternation. While his troubles are not over, he is once again able to rise in the morning and face the day with a hope of a positive long term outcome.

His recent Facebook post says he "is actually just stoked for the privilege of participating in this messy weird thing called life, with my family and friends. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and friendship." This is accompanied by the picture of him and his wife standing in front of a full rainbow.

You see, my brother in law discovered a profound secret to holding hope at the true north of his internal compass. I don't want to oversimplify, but the ongoing presence of hope in our lives is dependent on our attitude toward the cup being half full, rather than half empty.

It is the gut-felt expectation that things are going to get better as we move forward, regardless of the present moment obstacles staring us in the face. He also understands that his hope is not based on the things that he possesses. The thin ice of our material goods always gives way under the pressure of this world's economy.

As I see it, we have all been given the opportunity to choose. We can continue to look at the darkness and curse it, or we can choose to take the lemon-to-lemonade approach to life and rejoice over the things that we truly possess.

While we may be losing physical possessions, we still have the love and support of our family and friends, and the encouragement of those who are trudging along with us through this "weird, messy thing called life."

If you find yourself low in the "hope quotient," just remember that hope does not flow from the things we own, but it is found in the One who "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Have hope.