Hope Clarified..

It’s been tough getting back into the groove after being gone for almost 5 weeks.

There’s also no small amount of resistance to unplugging that “vacation mindset,” regardless of how empty my fridge is.  I’m not too proud to admit that I used non-fat dry milk powder in my coffee for two whole days..that’s how badly I did NOT want to go to the grocery store. (In case you are wondering, it was left over from making hot chocolate packs for gifts a few Christmases ago..)

The one thing I WAS looking forward to was church yesterday, and we had a guest pastor who did NOT disappoint. He focused in on Matthew 5-7, referring to it as Jesus’ TED TALK about fear and the future.

He explained how humans are hard-wired to be negative and fearful-especially of the future. He made the point that when we are fearful it is often vivd and specific, (I’m afraid I will fail this class, I’m afraid I will have a heart attack.) When we are hopeful it is likely fuzzy and vague, (I want to be “happy”).

He outlined three ways people respond to an uncertain future:

PANIC- when we are gripped with debilitating, immobilizing anxiety

PARTY-when we just figure “what the heck” and focus exclusively on feeling good today.

PREPARE- when we take pro-active steps so we are ready for tomorrow.

I thought a lot about how vague and vaporous my hopes often are and decided to try and do a better job distilling them into attainable visions.

Hope clarified and solidified is a goal after all… and the ability to articulate and pursue a goal is in itself preparation for the future and an effective antidote to fear.

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photocredit: Biblia.com