A Life of Hope

When I look back on my Dad’s Words of Hope, I am proud of the work he did, which wasn’t so much the words of hope he wrote but the words of hope he lived. We can be inundated with people recommending this or that, but we all are hungry for people who actually live out what they promote. Dad was not a perfect man, but he was an incredible person that I and many others deeply respect and admire. We saw him up close in the thick of hard times, we had arguments, I had to watch him ask forgiveness of many people, and I watched him make mistakes. However, I can’t revere him enough in his earnest desire to love God with all his heart, mind, and soul.

My Dad battled hard to be a man of hope and a good husband, a good father, a good papa, a good friend, and a good man. Goodness is a fruit—a byproduct. It wasn’t something that came from Dad intentionally trying to be good. Instead, Dad was good because he daily went to the cross; he was humble, listening, obedient, and earnest. He came with the hope that God would do the work through him. I am proud to write his Words of Hope because I know this is a beautiful way of life. Hope means to do something without knowing the outcome. Hope is not seen; it is sought. It is the will to thank God in difficulty without any feeling of consolation. It is the discipline to lay aside pursuing goodness and instead seek God, believing goodness will follow.

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Phil. 1:6