Whether 2016 ended on a high note, or we couldn’t get outta there fast enough—one thing each new year carries across the threshold of time is — Hope.
Isn’t that January’s song? Our hopes for the year ahead?
It’s an evolution, hope.
Ever growing, living, speaking.
I wonder—how is hope showing up in your life lately?
At the start of this barely unwrapped year, here’s my attempt to fill in the blank:
Hope is dawn’s awakening, drawing the morning sky.
Hope is the ocean returning wave upon wave, and the rustle of wind in the trees.
Which, if you suspend sight—let your ears do the seeing—
they sing the same song, the waves and the wind.
Hope is a warm supper around a generational table.
Hope is a toddler’s tiny feet in daddy’s big shoes.
Hope is January. Hope is December. Hope is Eternal.
Hope is a letter in the mail, a chair on the porch, a tree in season. Any season.
Hope is time. Time to be. To dream. To listen. To love.
Hope is before. Hope is after. Hope is in the midst.
Hope is a grace of God. Always given at just the right time.
Hope is the gospel of the daily, the faith of the future, the redemption of the past.
Hope is back roads, porch lights, rocking chairs and fireflies.
Hope is Christmas. Hope is Easter. Hope is Thursday.
Hope is the essence of “But, God,” the fabric of faith, the secret of old.
Hope
The believer’s anthem. The Spirit’s praise.
What about you? How would you fill in the blank? Hope is __________.
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Thank you for bringing your dish to the table–May your ministry of words find community here.
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Brenda,
Hope is having good friends to walk alongside you during hard times reminding you tomorrow will be better.
Blessings sweet friends,
Bev
Bev @ Walking Well With God recently posted…Oh To Be On Fire
Love that, Bev. Good friends are gold, aren’t they? Thanks for sharing. 🙂 xoxo
Yes … let’s hold up hope for each other, Brenda!
Linda Stoll recently posted…How Can I Pray For You Today?
Let’s! ((Hug))
Hope is happiness. I’m learning a lot about how God wants us to be happy people this week.
Happy Thursday! Visiting from the #ThoughtProvokingThursday linkup.
Megs
Hope and happiness are very intertwined, aren’t they? Thanks for sharing that, Meg. 🙂 ((hug))
“Hope is the essence of ‘but God'” I love that phrase! Thanks for words of hope on this snowy Thursday!
Michele Morin recently posted…Till We Have Faces (3): Holiness and Horror
oooh, is it snowy in Maine? Wish it were snowy here. 🙂 Love snowy days. Thanks for being here, Michele and for being such a wise and faithful mentor to so many of us. xoxo
Hope is knowing that God has been with me in the past, He’s with me today and He’ll be with me in whatever my tomorrow looks like.
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
Sherry Stahl recently posted…{New Series} New Beginnings
Yes…today, tomorrow, and yesterday — He’s got it all covered in Hope. I like that, Sherry. Thanks for sharing. ((hug))
Hope is Jesus. 😉
Amen! 🙂
Nicki Schroeder recently posted…Spread A Little SonShine Wherever You Go
For real! So true. Love that, Kristi, thanks for sharing. 🙂 ((hug))
Hope is the essence of “But God,” I like that Brenda. So true!
Thanks for coming by and sharing, Nicki. 🙂 ((hug))
Wow, Brenda, the post I’m linking up is all about hope! Hope is…always ours through Christ.
Laura Rath recently posted…Hope When You Can’t Fix It
Always ours — love that, Laura. How fun that we’re both writing about hope this week. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, today. ((hug))
Hope is His promises.
Beautiful, Brenda.
Yes — His promises. Isn’t that so true?! Thanks for sharing, Michele. 🙂 xoxo
“Hope is the essence of “but God.”” That sums it up beautifully. Hope comes from believing that God can bring something good from it, somehow, no matter how bad it seems.
I hadn’t thought of it that way before, Lesley. I like that. 🙂 Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hope is eternal hits it home for me. It’s His never-ending presence in the midst of the unknown. Thanks for the reminders, Brenda!
Jill recently posted…What Got in the Way?
Presence…I like that, Jill. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and being so supportive. xoxo
Hope is what I feel when I watch my daughter!
Lisa/Syncopated Mama recently posted…Where Does LOVE Hide? by Mary Manz Simon, illustrated by Hannah Wood
Awe, how sweet is that, Lisa?! 🙂 A future full of hope. Thanks for coming by and sharing, today. 🙂
Such a soul-filling offering, Brenda. Beautiful and encouraging. Hope is the potential moments where we wait for God and we see that He has always been there.
Thanks for this.
Blessings,
Dawn
That’s beautiful, Dawn. I love that. Thanks for sharing! ((hug))
Hope is God has already gone before me, knows what I will experience and holds out His hand to me. I don’t have to be fearful!
#gracemoments
I’m glad to be joining your linkup too! 🙂
Julie recently posted…7 Questions I’m Asking My Husband this Year
An absence of fear — oooh, I need to linger on that one. Thank you for sharing that, Julie. 🙂 And, thanks for coming by and sharing today, nice to meet you! 🙂
Brenda , love this : ) hope is eternal -God with us -Jesus for us -and Holy Spirit in us…
Well, we can’t ask for more hope than that, can we? Beautiful, Paris. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Hope is to be sure without any evidence.
God bless.
So true, Victor. Welcome! Thanks for coming by and sharing today. 🙂
Hope is knowing that our God is with us and will get us through. Blessings!
Joanne Viola recently posted…A Healthy Unity
Love it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Joanne. 🙂 ((hug))
I like your idea of the wind and the waves singing the same song of hope!
For me the ultimate Hope is Jesus, Savior, and coming again to make things right and to bring us to glory.
Hope is knowing God is in charge and he will bring good out of everything.
Maree Dee recently posted…Do Not Worry
Hope is keeping the fight because you know there will be victory in the end. 🙂
Inspiring!
Lovely to find your linkup, Brenda! Hope is knowing that your young adult children are in God’s hands! He knows where they will go to college and how they’ll get there. Hope is knowing that even though the lessons are hard for them, they aren’t too hard. Hope is knowing they are learning to leaning on Him on their own. 🙂
Dianne Thornton recently posted…Do You Bear the Family Resemblance?
Diane, I’m right there with you. Claiming your definition today as well. Prayers for your kiddos. Thank you for sharing. ((hug))
Brenda, so glad you stopped by little space on the inter webs because it led me here to your lovely words. I love that January’s song is hope. YES! Such an uplifting post. Thank you!