I am the mother of four adult children.

It’s mind-blowing, to say the least. I have days when I shake my head in disbelief. These grown people have jobs, kids, and dogs. They rent homes, buy cars and grocery shop for themselves. They have commitments and responsibilities. The magnitude of this reality for me is simply, “We made it!”, because we were always hopeful.

John and I have accomplished something big. We have successfully turned out four adults. They are in the world, doing their own things. They have become our friends and closest allies. They are smart, kind and driven. Our children are amazing, each in their own way. I didn’t know it was possible to love them more, yet here I am.  They gather around our table and I discover something I didn’t expect. Hope fulfilled by mercy and grace.

We were always hopeful and being hopeful brought us through.

It begins in the mom and dad with little children. Its presence is known when we pack them up for a weekend away, the first day of school or summer camp. It strengthens when we risk our hearts to sacrifice for them, and when we discipline them. They turn into adolescents, and the hope becomes frail. We cannot express our love and watchfulness enough. They cannot wait to escape it.

We hang on, until the next phase begins- this one was my favorite. Pseudo-adults I called them. They want to be independent so badly, yet they want me to make them a dentist appointment. Caught between their cherished childhood and an unknown exciting future, hope thrives.

Hope is the thread we hang onto when our parents are aging. We make sure we tell them everything we need to, because we are not promised tomorrow. The reality of mortality seeps in, and we make decisions more intentionally. We pray we do our parents justice. We love them when they need it most. We fight for them when they need an advocate. We hold their hand and guide them into the natural process of slowing down. We learn to cherish the time. We remain hopeful we have done enough.

Hope is something we need when there isn’t enough resource for our circumstance. It pushes us to faith and tests our strength. We pray for rain to fall when we are dry- and we pray for the sun when we are flooded. Hope pulls us through dark days. It brings us into the light. We have hope for a tomorrow which is at least as good as today.  It covers all facets of struggle.

Hope causes our discernment to grow. We become better decision makers. We lean on promises from Jesus and the sacrifice he offered. Where our faith is lacking, our hope fills in the gaps. We can love ourselves and others because hope gives us capability. Our love grows from the hopefulness we have cherished. We can spread our wings and faithfully step out, sharing hope with others from our experience.

We watch hopefulness bloom in the shadow of illness, defeat, job loss and disappointment. It covers a multitude of things and provides a path toward success. It takes only a small spark to change an entire circumstance.

We were naïve when we first started our family. We were going to conquer all the things. We wanted to fight for us. We started with the spark of hopefulness which could not be denied. By carrying this into the future where ever we landed, we provided a consistency to build on. Our faith is strong because our hope delivered. Our love is unending because our hope has bound us together.

Every situation can be affected by hope. Whether you are in the trenches of motherhood, corporate life or personal circumstance, I believe God has a plan, and hope is part of it. Hoping does not require skill, education, financial stability or prowess. It’s only requirement is to hold on. Hold it close and never let go. Allow it to bloom and flourish into faith and love.

This trifecta remains strong and undeniable. It has withstood the test of time. It carried Noah and his family through building the ark, blossomed into faith and withstood the storm. It carried Mary while she watched her child grow into a savior. She stood at the foot of his cradle then the foot of his cross, always hopeful in the promises made to her.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Jesus said,

“And now these three remain, Faith Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love.”

My hope for you? To find your hope again. Find the sliver of hope you desperately need and hang on. Allow it to turn into faith and love. Make sure to feed your hope every day. Cling to it when times are rough. Revel in it together when times are good.