Hope

This is one of my favorite words. When I am down and not feeling quite excited about life, I reflect on the idea, or better, the question, "Where is my Hope?" If you are a Christian, as I am, the answer is quite easy. We are taught, and I fully believe, that our hope is in Christ, our Lord. This is important because it helps keep things in perspective.

However, I believe that it is okay to hope that your favorite college football team will run the table and make it to the BCS title game. It is okay to hope that you will get an iPod for Christmas. But these are minor in comparison to important things in life.

Today I received a call from my neighbor. His wife just lost her brother. On Friday, I came home to two kids throwing up all over the place- "All over the place" meaning the carpet, the carpet, and the couch, not to mention the tiled floor (which, by the way, is easy to clean up) and the walls. It is in these moments that we remember that our hope is in Christ. I do not trust in myself, but I trust in God. I do not rest on the phone call to the doctors or pychologist's office, but in God. Yes, both are tools, but the ultimate reality is that God is in control and when push comes to shove, it is in him that I put my hope.

So do I hope that Penn State will be in the BCS title game? Yes!. But more importantly, I hope that God will protect my kids, keep players on both side safe, and comfort my neighbor. It is because I believe in God, that I have an honest or realistic view of hope.