Hoping and Trusting

Humans are the only creatures that require hope. Animals do not require this state of being for a healthy life. They live purely moment by moment, content that the immediate needs for food, shelter and companionship are met. Human beings are different; we wither away in the absence of hope.

Hope connects us to the future and prevents us from becoming stuck in past history or present challenges. It projects out, like a beam of light, illuminating things on the horizon to look forward to. Hope is defined as a feeling of trust and expectation, a desire for a certain thing to happen. It is listed famously in scripture as part of a “trinity of goodness” we are to embrace as a way of life.

So how does one embrace hope, especially in the light of discouragement, depression and illness or loss, all things that show up regularly while caregiving? The key is in the above verse: trust.

We can only overflow with positive expectation as we trust in the God who holds life, and all its mysteries, in His hands. He doesn’t just give hope; he is the God of hope. It is part of his eternal nature. Ask God to show you the hope in your current caregiving situation, and expect joy and peace to follow naturally.