Dancing with Hope

“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..." Ephesians 1:18

As we continue following Hope around this week, we see her make so many stops along the way. Where is she going? Who will she see? She glances to the right to discover a lonely woman enduring the holidays. She stops and speaks a kind word with a smile, reminding the lonely woman that the world still possesses kindness. She walks a little further and overhears the cry of a man who lost his dad, and she places her hand on his shoulder giving him the momentary compassion that he needs. She continues her way towards a gathering, resolute in where she is going. We see her open the door for another as they make their way in, a momentary acknowledgment for a person who feels invisible. Once she is inside, she is delighted by her beautiful surroundings. The lights are low, the music is playing and the chairs are full of disheartened people sitting against the wall. Hope is the most popular person at the dance, and she has all the time in the world for her partners. One by one we see her extend her hand for a dance, some taking her up on her invitation and others waving her off. Hope is bold…she is courageous…she is relentless…she won’t go away unless she is pushed away multiple times.

We all have troubling things on our mind and anxieties in our heart. It is so easy to discount hope when we are distracted by our circumstances. But Hope always has her hand held out, always trying to help us see that better days are ahead. I love that Hope doesn’t wait for an invitation, but instead she is that little burst of energy that demands to be heard and seen. She helps us look beyond our horizon and shows us the mystery of what can possibly be. She whispers things to our hearts that we need to hear, and for the moment we are left better than how she found us.

Why on earth would we ever hold hands with fear, dance with despair, or fellowship with misery when we could choose to hold on to the inspirational hands of Hope? Hope beckons us to act boldly today on the good she believes we will see tomorrow.

As we turn our faces to Week 2 of Advent we search for where Peace hangs out. I’m looking forward to resting and leaning into her during these busy times.