HOPE

What is hope anyway? No matter how inside out, twisted around, turned around, or upside down life gets, remember, there is always hope where there is the breath of life!

Kids make you really think about what is truly important in life. Caring about the little bead they lost, finding a birds nest in a tree, catching snowflakes on the tongue, asking about heaven, and are there really bad guys in our town mommy? And why is the sky blue? Is that man sad? Why do you and daddy kiss, is it because you love me? Do you like my drawing I made for you? Are you proud of me? I feel so angry right now and just want to be mean, why mommy? I’m so proud of myself for getting “Student of the Month!” Are you okay mommy? Why are you crying? What happens when we die? Are you going to die before I do mommy? I’m scared!! Questions my children ask me daily……..

My six year old son said to me tonight at bedtime, “Mom, I don’t really like to talk about heaven.” I asked him why not. “Because we go there and never wake up again. I don’t like that.” There are so many beliefs about eternity that I have discovered throughout my travels around the world. I was sure I had it all figured out before I had children. But, the insights and thoughts my children express, what comes to their mind and then is shared, really gets me to thinking outside of my box often times. I love to listen to my children describe what is not seen.

I definitely do not have all of the answers I realize, the older I get. But, I do know how to answer the questions of my children…….always with love, bringing peace to their mind, comfort to their soul, and joy to their day. I know how to comfort them from what has brought comfort to me in my darkest hours of life. What frightens a child may seem minor to an adult, but we as adults have become calloused to the tenderness of a child’s mind, we have learned to harden our hearts, hide our feelings, show no emotion, not be true to self. But why? Do we have no hope? Do we have no purpose? Do we struggle with our true identity, our legitimate reality, are we too ashamed? What brings fear, questions, trauma to the soul of any human, no matter the age, is completely legit. The amount of suffering we each endure is our own cross to bear. We should be proud of our wounds, our suffering, our grief for this is the Refiner’s Fire!

These are the flames of life that truly test our worth!! These are the moments that our true self is revealed! We either crumble or rise stronger than before! Bringing about a testimony, a journey travelled, a journey survived to bring HOPE!! Hope for generations to come. May we all begin to rise up to our calling, to our duty to life, to stand strong in our truth and not waiver at every whim of society! Swim against the current, go against the flow, be the change in the world today!! Find your voice and speak out! Lead the way with all of your heart, with passion for what you believe in, with strength for those who are struggling, with love for those who cross your paths daily!!

Generate goodness, kindness, peace, hope, Love, faithfulness, truth, integrity, honesty, and courage!

Live a courageous life, you only have this one life to live and God only knows how many breaths you will take! Live with a hopeful heart! Hug someone today!!!