Hope Floats

I have watched the movie "Hope Floats" approximately 56 times since it's debut in 1998. It ranks right up there with ET and Footloose in my world.

One of my all time favorite quotes is when Birdee reminds Bernice-Matice that:

"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will."

Chris' case got turned over to the superior court last week. While we totally expected it and knew it was coming, just hearing the confirmation of it brought us to our knees.

I've been thinking a lot about hope lately. Strangely (or not so strangely) enough, our message at church this morning was on just that--the concept of hope.

It's funny to think about how loosely we tend to throw around the 4 letter word "hope".

"I hope we get to have pancakes for breakfast."
"I hope I don't run out of gas on the way to work today because I am too cold and lazy to stop and fill up my tank.:
"I hope Old Navy puts their PJ bottoms on sale soon."
"I sure hope you don't snore tonight."
"I hope I didn't forget anything on my list in Super WalMart because there's no chance I'm going back in there."
"I hope you know how much I love you!"

Though casually tossed around, that little word has meaning that packs a heavy punch. What a phenomenon.

PK reminded us this morning that human hope is quite different from divine HOPE.

Human hope is an act of wishing based on chance. Few have human hope fulfilled and those that do learn that hope typically fades quickly.

Divine HOPE is an act of will distinctive from wishing, based on certainty. It is for all and it is forever.

I realized this morning that a great deal of my superficial hoping is based on human hope.

In my heart of hearts, I ultimately know that I don't get through life simply "hoping" and "wishing", rather through the divine HOPE I have in a God who is all powerful and sovereign. Human hope is sufficient for insufficient hopes. If you are willing to "take your chances" on hope, human hope is just fine and dandy. Divine HOPE is not based on chance. Divine HOPE requires a mighty faith.

We know that in order to deal with the hand we have been dealt right now, we must get a hold of divine HOPE and hold on to it with all of our might. And that is just what we are doing. We HOPE that in whatever you may be dealing with in your own life right now, that you will too :)

http://www.12stone.com/hm/messages/ Kindle Series. Hope.