Faith, Hop, and Love

I'm sitting here looking out the kitchen window at a star. The star is not outside but inside. It actually a Christmas ornament that we keep up year 'round, hanging on the window via one of those suction-cups things. The star is pewter-colored and has a word written on it in all caps: HOPE. Not a bad word to be reminded of as you start your day. HOPE.

When you hope upon a star...

I remember Norman Maclean writing about how his family had a God is love sign in their home and they believed it. Maybe one of these days, one of our kids will write a story about how our family had a star of HOPE in the window and how it influenced who we were and tried to be. Maybe. I hope.

If you invoke the "silent E" rule on the word HOPE, you end up with HOP, as in HOP-scotch and bunny-HOP and HOP-on-one-leg-mother-may-I. I'm not quite sure the last time I hopped, I mean really hopped. Maybe I'm not sure the last time I really hoped, I mean really hoped. Think about those words a minute, will you? They've got a lot in common.

HOPPING is just a little awkward; it's not our natural means of locomotion. HOPPING looks funny to the casual observer and often feels funny to the casual hopper. You're a little off-balance, you're focusing all your energies on making a successful hop to the next spot or lily pad or rabbit hole. HOPPING is normally something reserved for children and frogs and rabbits, small things. HOPPING is kinda fun, when you think about it and then do something about it.

HOPE is just a little awkward too. Many days, it's not our natural means of living; we've got to be reminded of it via a star in the window or a verse in the scriptures or at the encouragement of a friend. To HOPE looks funny to people looking in or on and often feels rather funny or foolish to the one hoping. HOPING leaves you a little off-balance, you're focusing all, or almost all, your energies on this essence of things hoped for, whatever that may be. And in a sense, HOPING is just a stone's throw from wishing and that's something normally reserved for children or the child-like. But HOPING is kinda fun, sometimes.

Then again, HOPPING can land you on your backside or face-down, as can HOPE. And sometimes, HOPPING is foolish, and sometimes, to HOPE is foolish, it just is. And oftentimes, it's much more fun to watch someone else HOP around than it is to do it ourself. HOPE is like that too; much more easy to watch someone else hope upon a star than it is to do it ourself, really do it.

HOPE finds itself in the middle of that "these three" - faith, hope, and love. For that word to get out of the middle of those other two giants (faith and love), it would have to do something like HOP, right? A great big leap. And HOPE it makes it.

I HOP you have a great day!