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Hope – Music of the Soul

Hope 380SXRuth Tong considers the importance of hope, and encourages us to pursue our dreams.

 
“Hope is the soft music of the soul; it needs no words, just those willing to incline their ear to listen. But listening requires practice. Once hope is heard its melody envelopes the rhythms of despair, sweetening the song in hindsight, when the story is retold.”
 
I love the expression adopted by an ad company ‘the possibilities are endless’. To me this is a good thing because it engenders the idea that if one thing doesn’t work there are others which might. Igniting the thought ‘maybe’ or ‘perhaps’ can be a lifeline to the hopeless.
 
However, I see many people who have settled for the path of least resistance. The problem I’ve found is apathy is an easy pit to fall into but hard to get out of. Ennui is subtly exhausting because we become so entrenched in maintaining the status quo that we calcify in the languor.  Awake but asleep, unconsciously going with the flow, directionless and unfulfilled but ‘safe’. Hey it’s what you know right?
 
If you think this is you, ask yourself, ‘when was the last time I did something I feared or something spontaneous?’ If you make lame excuses like ‘sorry I can’t do Thursday, I steam clean my cat on Thursday’s’ then be warned, petty inflexibility may make you feel in control but it’s robbing you of life and doesn’t glorify God.
 
God sets eternity in the hearts of men and never more so when you’re walking in the shadow of death. Because of Judith’s journey over the last few years, my responsibility to live and not drift has gripped me to the core. I find myself creating opportunities, pushing through self-doubt, exploring new possibilities.
 
When one thing doesn’t work I rest up and enjoy the process of solution driven thought. When my ideas are overlooked, I’m not rejected, I’m free and confident because I’m not forgotten – there is One who knows my name. For too long I have played it safe on the side-lines, happy to cheerlead; but even cheerleaders go on the pitch at half time!
 
There’s a great quote we use in the Shine course -‘Your playing small doesn’t serve the world’. Can I ask you… do you need to go large? What are your hopes, what dreams got shelved somewhere along the way? Take them down, blow off the dust because dreams are God breathed. Do you need to tilt your head, be still and practice the art of listening? God has given you a hope which no scheme of hell can touch, His reply to His promises are YES and AMEN. He is the Creator and Sustainer of life - if you need fresh hope ask Him for it. Get with Him and explore - for His possibilities are endless, and if I back flip past you with my pom poms – give us a cheer!
 
“Hope” image above is courtesy of Len Nguyen via http://www.freeimages.com/
 



Ruth TongRuth Tong is the Coordinator of Women’s Ministries at Eternity Downham Market, and is the author of ‘Love Drops from Heaven’.  Ruth regularly blogs at ruthtong.com/blog

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