Bootlegged Hope....

Let's break this down.

As we wander, march or fly through life we are often looking or desiring to be hopeful.

Sometimes we find hope in a sign or a long awaited break, where something actually goes our way...

Sometimes we find hope in the beautiful things around us: family, nature, you name it...

Sometimes we find hope in sometime someone says like the oncologist or the surgeon...

Sometimes we trudge through life with our chin to our chest, certain that hope evades us, that we are not worthy of hope, that things are meant to be bad and hard and we must find a way to survive until the end.

FALSE.

Maybe your immediate response to these words is, if you only understood what I am going through or how my life has been you would understand why my hope reserves are lacking or in some cases nonexistent....

My response to you would be,

" Dear one, I am sorry for what you have encountered in this broken world. I am sorry that the broken nature of humanity has splashed upon you, sometimes taking your breath away and stinging your eyes. But you see, you are wasting your time. You are wasting your heart and soul energy. Hope is not some evasive, nearly obsolete treasure for you to conjure up or hunt down. Hope's well is not depleted by the bad things that have happened to you, are happening or the choices you have made.

Now hear me... Hope is a choice.

What?!?

Hope is a confident expectation that is not built, rooted or birthed on your circumstances, quality of life or mistakes.

Most our struggle is that we are looking for bootlegged versions of hope rather than our true source of hope. Regardless of what you believe, Jesus is the author and inventor of Hope.

Wanna know the difference? Only 1 type of hope satisfies."

True, authentic hope that comes from our inventor has a way of encapsulating us in our weakest moments and giving us strength to move forward. OH how I know this more than ever as I battle 2 forms of cancer. One was so invasive it's possible I had it for over 5 years. The other is rare, aggressive and relentless with a prognosis of barely 5 years upon discovery.

See-onward looking my circumstances have been rough, relentless, painful, challenging, do I need to go on?

But we all have a choice in how we respond.

Before the diagnosis I have learned to be mindful of who/what gets to sit at the table of my life.

I remember telling my family in the early days, even if they say it is everywhere, they don't get to write my story. They are not my inventor. Those lab reports are just words on paper. You see I have the confident expectation that if it is not good, He is not done. I have HOPE. I have the confident expectation that He is my healer and that Satan wants to cripple the desire and calling I have to help break cycles and lead others to FULL restoration. I have HOPE. I know no weapon formed against me wins. I know how the story ends.

No matter what "it may look like" HOPE changes the trejectory of your attitude, experience and outcome. Let true authentic HOPE have a seat at your table. I am here for you. We can do this together. Choose HOPE.