Hope In Spite of It All

I'm feeling so UP lately! I've been feeling more hope, in general, for a while. I think, actually, the turning point was after this talk by one of our Stake High Council speakers. He's a neat Doctor dude and I REALLY admired his wife. I wanted to become friends with her, but I didn't know how to get to know her. (Funny thing about that, I'm becoming friends with one of her best friends now. Strange how life works!)

You see, he was talking about how he was feeling so much hope lately, in spite of the difficulties in the economy and so forth. In my head I thought something like, "MAN, is he a NUT!??!!! I'm just feeling plain ol' scared and paranoid and like the end of things is NOW! How can he feel HOPE?!"

I didn't really REALLY think about his words and my reaction to them in the way I think about many/most things. But somehow I ended up taking on the idea of increased hope as a challenge for self-improvement. Like when the newly married sister (Lynn Sokoloff) talked about going to the temple every month when she was a teacher in my Relief Society. In my mind I said, "Oh, she can do that because she doesn't have ____ to worry about." But then, I got to thinking, "I'm only ever going to have more ____ to stop me. I should just try to do what she's doing. I'm sure it can only improve and benefit my life!" (I'm SO grateful for those around me who do so much and try so hard because I'm SO inspired and my life is improved because of efforts to be like them!!!)

And so I started including hope in my prayers. Thanking Father for things I felt hope about and in, asking for hope, and even praying like I had hope about things I wanted to hope in or about. All around I was (am) talking with Father about Hope. And ya know what? It's totally working! I know, go figure. Father actually giving us something we need? Naaahhh. ;)

Ya know that job? Jess got the paperwork today. He's starting on April 8th. I KNOW! Look at the times. And here we are getting a lift up? All praise be to the All Mighty I Am! Father is making this miracle, as with so many other miracles in our lives. I KNOW it. And I feel that part of it is so that I can never feel pride in the "doing it ourselves" bit. Has Jess put forth effort. Sure. Could he have done it on his own? Nope. Hasn't worked before.

I'm not going to drive the car, praying for an empty parking spot close enough to the entrance so I'm not late to my appointment, find one that someone is vacating just as I approach it, and then conclude my prayer saying, "Oh, never mind. I just found one!" Glory to God. I'm so VERY grateful for Hope from Him!!!!