We all need hope. No sparkling promises or wishes. No well laid intentions or plans. Hope. Four letters. Four letters that carry the weight of our whole world and all of our life hidden in the depth of their meaning.

Whether we are waiting on a check to arrive, a door to open, or a diagnosis to be made. We need hope. Hope doesn’t care about how much money we have in the bank, where we live, color of our skin, or even our beliefs. It is the sparkle that rests deep down in your soul. It is the spark that never goes out.It is the light that never surrenders to the darkness.

It is the truth that will ultimately be revealed to all people. It is the justice that we all hunger to see. Sometimes we personalize it and try to make hope all about me and mine… If hope isn’t for everyone, then it is for no one.

But hope isn’t an insurance policy, deed to a piece of property, or something you own. It is what you live. It is who you are.

You know what’s odd about hope? It’s sort of tough to have it by ourselves. We need others. When my hope dims, you can step up close and I can lean on you. And then when your candle flickers, I can step up close and you can lean on me. Hope can grow. When we lean in together, love completely, listen deeply, forgive often, walk boldly and pay attention to each other’s pain, hope grows stronger.

Listen to the pain. That is where hope grows. That’s just the way I see it.