Thursday, December 7, 2023

The Gift of the Jar of Hope



Positive Pensées


Kathy King


The Gift of the Jar of Hope


“The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.”

Samuel Johnson


Find one thing to be thankful for.

Find one hope that will help you to endure. 

Find that mustard seed of faith to get you through.

Find that grace that will bless others and you.

Find that forgiveness that is so hard to give. 

Remember forgiveness is for you, not them.

Find that thankfulness, even in the little things.

Find that peace, love, and strength.

Even on the days when it is all that you can do but pray.

Keep that jar labeled hope. 

Find a prominent place. 

When life gets particularly hard, that jar is right there for you to reach in and pray.

I’ll say it again, hope springs eternal.

Hope leads the way.

When the obstacles are stacked against us, hope can be the pinprick of light to guide your way.

Fear may rear its ugly head and fill you full of doubt. 

But hold on to your jar of hope. 

Make it a part of yourself. 


Today is hump day. Mid-week. You can see the light of the weekend making its presence known. I always look forward to the weekend, that is when our kids usually come home from college to see us. Also, Sunday brings a time to reflect and grow spiritually into the next week. As I have been pondering the first week of advent, hope has been right in the front of my mind. Why do we hope? Well, I would wager that it is better than living in despair all the time. We hope because we have a deep longing within for better circumstances, better mindsets, better living. Hope is an aspiration, a wanting spiritually and mentally for a better circumstance. Yesterday I read about the concept of audacious hope. That is hope that heals even in the midst of trauma. It holds up your spirit in the midst of the struggle. In the Christian faith that hope gives us the strength to hold on via the promises of scripture. Have you lost hope? Have you lost your way? Hope provides the center of gravity when you feel rudderless. Hope requires patience and a willingness to trust. Hope requires perseverance when all around looks bleak and dark. That is why you light the candle of hope. Let it burn and show you the way, to lead you out of darkness, to lead you to pray. To meditate, to bolster your faith. At the end of each year we pick a resolution. This next year perhaps we should take out a jar and label it “Hope.” In that jar put little slips of paper of circumstances, people, things, feelings, thoughts, musings that give you hope. When you feel that you cannot go on, reach into that jar and meditate on that specific instance that brought you hope. I know that when some folks hear the phrase, “Never give up.” They roll their eyes. I get it, but what if on the one day you do give up that hope, that breakthrough is right around the corner? Hold on to the jar, keep it in your sight and let hope be your guide. The Christmas season is a time to bolster and build up your hope that has been beaten by life. Plant that garden of hope. I am reminded of the words of Audrey Hepburn: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” 


My books are on Amazon!


The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Moo-Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments


Clean it Up! Wash it Up!


Coming soon!

Appalachian Allegory: A Southern Novel


Buy me a coffee… pretty please… actually it would be a proper cuppa in my case. Thank you for reading! 


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