Hope

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. Isaiah 11:1 Hope is a fickle and fleeting; hope shows up unannounced and can leave just as quick; hope is intrusive and refuses to be ignored. And yet, if you asked me which of the four Advent candles we will light in church in the coming four weeks (hope, peace, joy, and love) is the most important, I would not hesitate to say, "Hope!" Hope is as elusive as a snowball in Florida this time of year. Hope is slippery and can quickly turn to wishing; which is not the same as hoping. Hoping is active, hope makes demands upon our very lives. Wishing is more passive. I can make list after list of wishes, but once I write down my hopes, they stake a claim on my life. It is difficult to define hope. The dictionary uses words like "desire and expectation" or a "feeling of trust" or "something to happen". But that seems to be dancing aro