THE STUBBORN TENACITY OF HOPE

Today is a day when the permanence of hope is celebrated by billions of people around the world. It is a hope that has been made available to all people, no matter their creed, culture, language, race or economic or social status. It doesn't matter what your belief system happens to be, hope is something we can all use more of.

Live on this earth long enough, and you come to realise sooner or later that we find ourselves in a broken world. Disappointment, heartache and evil abound. I don't have to convince you of that. Turn on your television. Read your newspaper. The threats of wickedness and the curses of poverty and loss make their presence known loudly and proudly. These are the things that are shoved into the forefront of our consciousness on a consistent basis.

Conspicuous as this negativity may be, there is another side to this saga that often goes untold, but that quietly and tenaciously persists nonetheless. It is the story of good, the story of hope. Hope, gentle and modest as it may often seem, will never be extinguished. It is never lost. Hope will endure to the very end of this age and beyond. Indeed, life can be bitterly painful at times, but there is always reason to continue fighting. When it is all said and done, all the darkness in this world will never overcome the wondrous luminescence of hope.

Why is that? Well, opinions will surely vary, but I believe that the permanence of hope is based on a promise made by Someone who is incapable of breaking a promise He has made. It is a promise that speaks of restoration, of justice, of reconciliation. It is the promise that no matter how damaged this world may be and the hearts that dwell in it, every wrong will eventually be made right, and every tear of sadness will be compassionately wiped away from every eye. It is a promise that has conquered death and the grave, and no power in existence can stand in opposition to it.

It's a hope worth clinging to, one worth fighting for. Whatever challenge you may be experiencing, do not give up. Whatever hurt you are facing, do NOT give up! Sorrow may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. It always has, and it always will, and there ain't a darn thing permanent that the foes of hope can do about it.
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Grant Alexander Cyster owns the blog entitled "I THINK, THEREFORE I ACHE.", offered as part of his Cape Town based freelance media business at: www.grantcyster.com