Hope

In one of my very first posts, I talked about a discussion group that I participate in: The Luminary Discussion Group. In this weekly discussion, we basically talk about becoming better people and helping others to become better people. Yesterday, our discussion began on the topic of hope. While we didn't talk about it in a familial context specifically. I have been impressed by the significance of our conversation in relation to families. 

First off, people are imperfect (shocker, I know). Families are made up of these imperfect people. This imperfect group of people is a part of God's perfect plan-- and not just for entertainment (although he must find some of our issues amusing). We were put together to help each other change, grow, and fulfill our potential. What can be a recipe for disaster can also be the greatest masterpiece of eternity. However, I think that we need a vision of what we can be. We need to begin to see one another as we truly are. 

What are we? We are children of God. 

How do we really see each other as brothers and sisters with a spiritually divine nature?

We have faith. We have hope. 

If only those words could convey all the depth and meaning behind them. Yesterday, during the Luminary Discussion, we tried to hash out what hope is. 

First, a portion of a cnn article I recently discovered called "How Hope can Heal You": 

"There is a thin line between hope and denial, and that line is an unwavering commitment to truth and reality.
Groopman writes: "False hope does not recognize the risks and dangers that true hope does. False hope can lead to intemperate choices and flawed decision making. True hope takes into account the real threats that exist and seeks to navigate the best path around them."
Both Lopez and Bidwell emphasize that hope is not about positive thinking. Hope is half optimism, Lopez explains. The other half is the belief in the power that you can make it so.
There is a profound difference between hoping and wishing, he continues. Wishing encourages passivity, whereas hope represents an active stance.
'Wishing is the fantasy that everything is going to turn out OK. Hoping is actually showing up for the hard work.'"

Though though some parts of these statements triggered strong feelings both in agreement and disagreement, it led to some pretty fantastic insights within our discussion group:

• Hope is lively 
• Hope is what makes change possible 
• Hope is an essential part of Christ's Atonement
• Hope is inextricable tied with faith and charity
• Hope allows us to be humble and trust God to focus our efforts
• Hope makes us happy 
• Hope encourages action

These comments sound simple; it's a concept that's impossible to cover with words, but it's powerful. 

We talked about blended families (for example, a divorced mother with two children marries a widowed father) this week in my Family Relations class. What a difference it would make for these family's to have hope. A hope based on seeing each other as we really are and having a vision of what we can become. Families unite based on the idea that it's possible. If it weren't possible, it wouldn't be worth working for. 

Uniting a family (blended or 100% biologically related) is a matter of hope. It is the secret, proactive ingredient that makes a masterpiece out of an imperfect group of people. Hope is active. It is actively learning and moving forward knowing that you can become better. 

So hope a little, eh?