Good morning, anam caras. This is a difficult time for many people, in many different ways. Some of us are finding that our old strategies of coping with the world and its pain aren’t working, and are left feeling confused, alone, or even hopeless in the face of it all. Are you seeing this in your life – friends, family, and/or your own self weighed down by the grief, the pain, or even just the monotony of everyday life that can sometimes make us feel “stuck”? What might it look like to lean into hope in the midst of it all? For your own soul, but also on behalf of others? A hope that doesn’t rely on spiritual bypassing of the things we’d rather not look at? This week, we’re going to be looking at that kind of hope – the kind that’s based in reality: the reality of who we are and who God is – and how we can be a part of bringing it into our worlds. So, as we begin, pause and notice: are there any places you are seeing – in you, in others – that need hope? See if you can name some of the harder things in your life and the life of the world around you right now. What is your initial response as you think about hope in those places? Where would it come from, this hope? A hope that is more than wishful thinking or positivity, one that enlivens us and draws us more deeply into God’s work in the world? Spend some time considering this with God; see what comes up (and feel free to share whatever comes up for you here!). Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

Posted by Jamie Bonilla at 2021-09-13 14:05:45 UTC