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Hope. Not (Yet) Faith.

By 4:14 PM

Several thoughtful texts were exchanged between Tennessee and Puerto Rico today; I guess that's the going rate of conversation when my best friend is a world traveler. Today the notion of hope sifted from our texts.


I don't typically speak of hope.  Perhaps because I identify as (a bit of) a cynic on many topics, and critics regard hope with incredulity. Yet, I see a pattern of hope in my life--- but a hope that is different from my long held understanding of faith.

In everyday conversation, I often use the two words interchangeably: "I hope your flight arrives on time" and "I have faith your flight will go smoothly." See how easily these words can be exchanged for the other? Perhaps such interchangeability is a mistake! In fact, the book of Hebrews defines faith as the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of things not yet seen. Faith is characterized by notions of assurance, hope, certainty, and mystery. Faith is not defined as hope.

My point? Simple. I believe there are times, topics, and circumstances for which I feel hope but lack faith. For years and years, I prayed for my future husband to come along.  I prayed incessantly for something I highly doubted. I wanted a brave love but did not feel assurance God had that relationship in the cards for me. 

And yet, when I flip through old prayer journals, I see those prayers repeated over and over again. Refashioned prayers where I petitioned candidly for "Scott" [side note: my Scott turned out to be an Adam]. These detailed prayers are indications of hope... or my insanity.

Most of my life I've thought of hope as an honorable but dainty characteristic. A winsome trait I lacked in manner and faith. But my understanding of hope is changing.  I no longer classify hope as the delicate sister of faith. Instead, I've come to see hope as enduring madness because hope is longing for something you aren't certain will ever come to pass.

But let us hope anyway. Hope wildly and frequently. Hope for safe flights, brave loves, restored relationships, renewed purpose, wholeness, and other "insanities."  Pray prayers of repeated lunacy that indicate your unassured hope. May God meet us in those utterances... and maybe even turn our hopes into faith and fruition.

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