the power of hope

I woke up early this morning in effort to get ready to go to work. I confess that work isn't my favorite thing of my day but it gives me the sense of security and consistency that I need. That's the way of life. We do the things we don't like to do in order to do the things we do like to do. Having something to look forward to is important.
Hope gives us something to look forward to, dream about and work towards.
I was thinking about the impact that hope has on us and the more I look, the more that I see that it isn't about the striving or planning, but it's about believing. Yep. Faith. Faith in something bigger than ourselves. Faith in the midst of doubt. Hope give us the courage to face the giants in our lives. Hope brings joy where sorrow cannot go. Hope is the shadow of things past, things realized and things to come. Hope encompasses us when we let it seep into our souls.
I'm writing this as an encouragement to myself. And encouragement to others. If we can't hope, we can dream. If we can't dream, we can't believe. If we can't believe, then we are lost.
Today I have been excited about the possibility of having a new apartment. I'm on the cusp of change in my life and I look forward to it very much. It is hope that keeps me holding on to this dream of an apartment. It is hope that fuels my passion to succeed. The power of hope lies within us through our faith. Some would say that they don't have any faith. But the reality is that you have faith in something. Even if it's faith in the belief that you don't have faith.
So choose wisely. There's power in hope. But you have to have the faith to believe it.