ISBC 2 - Hope is Not Optimism
Chapter 2 of Hope: A User's Manual
It has taken 10 years. 10 years of fits and starts. 10 years of on and off accountability. 10 years of successes and failures. 10 years.
This could be said for a lot of things in my life. Exercise - I used to hate exercise. While I liked playing certain sports growing up, I really hated the idea of exercise. But in the last 10 years, I have grown to love it and have a bit of an addition to it. The photos below are my workout spot in my house. I daily run on the treadmill and do yoga and then on alternating days lift weights and do kickboxing. Mixed in are some rest days as well. But I can feel it in my emotions and in my body when I don’t get that time in. And I can see and feel the change in my body over those 10 years. But as much as I love it, there are days I just have to fight to get through it.
I can say the same for other practices in my life - gratitude, art, and beauty for example. It has taken years of trying to regularly practice these things to move these muscles from flabby to something much stronger.
None of these things do I do perfectly. By no means. And there are other areas in my life where I wish I had the same level of discipline and consistency as these (cough cough sugar cravings).
It wasn’t necessarily the core focus of this chapter, but MaryAnn wrote this:
The good news is, no matter who we are, hope is a muscle that can be exercised.1
A muscle that can be exercised. Yes yes yes. It can be exercised in the sources we draw from - are the “voices” around us in life ones that point toward hope or toward something else - fear, anger, division, hate? It can be exercised in the things we practice - do we intentionally find ways to do that which is life giving to us or for others? Do we serve just ourselves or serve others?
It doesn’t have to be huge things every day. Just like exercise or mindfulness - maybe it is just a 10 minute walk around the block or 5 minutes of meditation. But something to work on this muscle of hope.
For me, part of the practice of hope is sharing in this space. I can keep things to myself but sharing them and hopefully (pun intended) these images and words connect with someone else which can bring them some hope and that goes on and on.
What are your hope practices? I’d love to hear them in the comments.
Grace, Peace, Love, and Joy,
Ed
McKibben Dana, MaryAnn. Hope: A User's Manual (p. 22). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.
Thank you! “Hope is a muscle” resonates with me. My first hour of the day is about working my hope muscle. I make my breakfast and coffee, then I go to my chair and read devotions, from my inbox. I write emails and forward devotions to some of my cancer buddies (I am a survivor) or other friends who are going through rough times. I pray for others and for myself. Mostly, I want to sense the presence of God’s Spirit within me.
Sometimes, I sit in my chair and imagine going to a special place in the heavens. I sit under a weeping willow tree, or I sit on a log by a creek. I go with intention when I am troubled. I am looking for answers, lessons, healings, ways to turn my life or a situation around. I receive a visitor who sits beside me and listens. They never give me the advice I expect. But they point out feelings, different perspectives, opportunities for healing within me. The visitor may be Jesus, or Mary, or even an ancestor. The willow tree and the creek are also listeners. In that place I feel loved and supported. It is definitely a way and a place where I can learn how to work my hope muscle.
My own hope practices :Does keeping a gratitude list count? Whether that is in my head or in journal format, focusing on the things I am grateful for exercises the “hope muscle”. I just didn’t realize this until now. I have read articles and books (Kudos to Ann Voskamp) over the years, and while I may have duplicated what I am grateful for a few times, I believe it has helped my shift my perspective. I have always tended to be the “glass half empty” person, but when I count my blessings, I realize my cup runs over. Literally. Yes there have been dips and curves in life, but overall I am grateful and hopeful for what comes next.