Hope is expressed in music lyrics, poetry, fiction, and the pastor’s sermon. It’s a much-used expression that has different meanings to those doing the hoping:

• “I hope Barbara goes to the dance with me if not, I’ll ask Sue.”
• “Now that I’ve washed the car, I hope it doesn’t rain.”
• “I hope and pray that they caught the malignancy in time.”
• “They’re cutting staff and I’m hoping to keep my job until I find another.”

Jim Carrey gave a super graduation address. It’s well worth viewing and you won’t regret the twenty-some minutes.

My dad used to say, “To sit on your butt and hope is a waste of time. It’s the action that gets results.” I had said something about hoping to get a good grade on a history test. To put this in perspective, my parents had received a report of missing assignments and sporadic attendance, along with the midterm D- grade. Although it would’ve been a hardship on Mom and Dad, I had to turn over the keys to my ’52 Bel Aire.

I loved that car. It motivated me to get my act together for two nights in a row before I turned to hope and threw in a prayer or two and scored 53% on the test. I learned that hope without action didn’t work. And I learned to walk back and forth to school and all activities.

Hoping is often tied to wishing. I hope this, I wish that… without taking action that brings change. Hope is the spark that ignites action. Can you live without hope? It would be giving up, living a dismal life–not making the best in the present, no expectations of the future. Never looking forward to a new day.

The overuse of hope has lowered its importance and value. Hoping for safety and protection in times of disaster is more than hoping a Rock Star venue has some good seats left. Hope combined with prayer to God, the Universe, or the energy that you believe keeps the planets in line is powerful.

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Should you put hope on a higher pedestal giving it more importance? Does having hope make our lives better, or not? I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Please leave a comment below: