By Michael W. Raley
Hope- a desire or expectation for a certain outcome-
Can remain as elusive as a treasure out of reach.
Even when the hope seems reasonable,
The path is still fraught with difficulty.
This constant difficulty, in turn frustrates our hope.
A vicious circle indeed!
We pursue hope in faith, in our hard work, in fortune, and a lover’s embrace,
All of which can be taken away,
Leaving us empty once more.
Reality has a nasty habit of sucker punching us,
Whether it is the doubt, the layoff, the disease diagnosis, or the lover’s departure
Or all of them at once.
“It has to get better,” we say to ourselves.
“There must be more to life than this,” we muse during a frustrating moment.
Hope, even in the most realistic appraisal of a situation,
Still flickers in the darkness and calls out to us.
By the grace of God,
I arose from my nightly slumber
To face another day.
Therefore, there is still hope.
Triumphant In Christ 