Advent Guide: You BelongSample

Does Hope Come Naturally?

Some people were born with the "hope" gene. Others, including me, were not. I always admired (maybe even envied) my parents' perpetual positivity. For people like my parents, hope seems easy as if optimism is baked into their DNA. Being adopted, I evidently didn't inherit that trait.

Many of us struggle to see the positive in tough situations and are sometimes labeled as pessimists or even as "Eeyores" (the gloomy donkey in Winnie the Pooh). If hope doesn't come naturally, can you learn to be more hopeful? Scripture gives us a map to find hope in any situation.

During my early adulthood, I would call my father to lament about a situation in my life, riddled with worry and anxiety. Dad used this opportunity to teach me about hope, i.e., how to be more confident in uncertainty. He labeled trying times as "CBEs," Character Building Experiences.

As I matured, I began to see perseverance through hardship truly does build inner strength and character to endure whatever comes our way. But how does character produce hope?

As I racked up more and more CBEs in my life, I began to recall the past mercies of the Lord during my current adversity, ultimately allowing for confidence, trust, and hope in his plan for the future.

Still, I cannot will myself to hope as I just am not wired that way. When hope evades me, I remind myself of God's faithfulness and lean on Scripture, prayer, and family to find hope again.

Whether you're hopefully wired or are "hope challenged," true hope comes only from the Lord Jesus Christ whose birth, death, and resurrection brought the ultimate certainty: eternal life with him.

Alicia Howell currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Buckner International. She is semi-retired and was formerly senior vice president, and chief accounting officer at 7-Eleven, Inc. Alicia lives in Dallas, Texas, and is married to her best friend, Paul. They have two adult children and two grandsons.