Day 353: Hope Not Enough

Hope is not a strategy.

Matthew Kelly

Resisting Happiness

At my Bible Study, this past week Kori pointed out this sentence in the book we are studying.  I completely missed it among all the other sentences.  I was a bit surprised. I have this type of attitude.  I was so thankful Kori recently joined our group or I might have never had the opportunity to pray and contemplate this statement.

My first thought was egotistical in regards to the sentence.  I instantly thought of other people and their situations in how all they do is hope.  They don’t do anything concrete to turn the hope into reality.  I have a friend who has been struggling with mental illness for a long time.  She hopes she gets better by taking medicine given by a general practitioner.  Me, being so brilliant, has told her she needs to see a psychiatrist.  She hasn’t and the hope hasn’t done anything for her.

My next thought was how my hope to write my first book was followed by a strategy to get it accomplished.  I hoped to write a blog everyday for a year.  I put it on my calendar and got a book of writing prompts as my strategy.  Of course, we contemplated the sentence in regards to our faith.  I don't hope for a better relationship with God.  I work at a relationship with Him: Bible Study, Mass, ministry, prayer, and charity.  Yep, I am so amazing.  (Yes, I say this with mockery in my voice.)

My final thought humbled me.  What about the things you only place hope in?  Do I have some?  Damn, I caught myself.  I do have things in my life that the only strategy I have is hope.  I need to take a look at this and see if there is some action I need to take to add to the hope.

Now, I am not saying hope is bad or wrong.  We need hope.  I still hope to get six books written in a year.  I don’t know that I will accomplish the task.  But I definitely have a strategy to get it done.  I have to write a certain amount every week.  If I fail to reach that number, I write more the next week.  So far my strategy is working.  I hope it continues.  If it doesn’t, I will find a different strategy.  I will not rest in hope.

The rest of this week, I am going to talk about some of the areas that all I have done is hope.  I will look at my options and possibly come up with a strategy.  I would love to hear what you have to think about the quote and my ideas.