Change -- Hope Chronicles 80

I had the pleasure of spending Thanksgiving with Mark and Jill, their kids, and their extended families. I am thankful that they included me.

As we were driving back, I told Jill that it was coming up on a year since I started the Hope Chronicles. That was my goal -- to write for a year about different aspects of hope. Now my question is, do I keep on with them or do I change them to some other attribute like faith?

A couple weeks ago (Hope Chronicle 78) I shared a quote about how "hope tightens the heartstrings." I asked the question if any of you had seen a change in me. (Thanks for those who took the time to respond.) I also said that I would share, after hearing from you, what I thought.

I honestly think sharing and thinking about hope in a meaningful way has changed me. In A Bridge Called Hope, Kim Meeder writes:

In every honest, balanced, and meaningful way . . . hope stretches us to a new capacity . . . a previously unkown capacity to change.

I think that has been true for me. Writing about hope has stretched me. It has made me see hope in a different way. It has kept my thoughts focused on the positive instead of the negative.

Have there been bumps in the road? Yes. And I think that anytime we set our heart or mind to something like this, the enemy attacks. Satan hates hope. He hates the thought of it. He hates the hope we have.

Interestingly, this summer when I was feeling most hopeful, I feel like he attacked full force and brought me to my knees. For two weeks I had trouble writing/blogging about anything at all. He brought me to my knees. In some ways, that was a foolish thing to do, because on my knees in prayer was exactly where I needed to be. And I am thankful that God sent a supply of people to pray for me as well.

Hope has stretched me and changed me, but I have difficulty putting words to the change. It is a change of heart, a change of mind, a change of attitude.

It's interesting to write that after the beginning of last week. I was reminded of how much more change there is needed. Even my response to those words were not words of hope. I quickly threw up a wall of self-protection. The problem is that there is little hope alone behind a wall. But I am still feeling hurt and very vulnerable.

But after this year, I should know there is hope. There is hope to change because Jesus is all about changed lives. As impatient as we are with ourselves and others to change quickly, Jesus says, "I am here for the long haul." There is a world of hope in that.

Have I changed? Yes. Is there more to come? Yes.

But I wonder, should I continue on this adventure of hope or should my focus shift?

So, I'm setting up a poll. Please give me your feedback!