Hope is a funny thing. We are often told not to get our hopes up, lest we get disappointed. The bible says that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Robert G. Ingersoll said, “Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity.” And I say, based upon the fact that I was once faced with a situation where I had lost my hope, that it is extremely dangerous to not have.

But what is hope? How can you wrap the intangible into something that we can realize? How do we know when it is slipping away and how do we keep from losing it?

This topic came into my mind tonight because of two videos I watched online. It first happened as I was watching the latest episode of Family Guy on Hulu. Near the beginning of the episode, Meg and Chris are talking about this very topic. Take a look at the scene:

So, according to Meg Griffin:

Hope is what gets you out of bed in the morning when it’s the day of prom and you haven’t been asked. Hope pushes the caterpillar through the cocoon and drives the salmon upstream. Your breasts may be small and your glasses may be thick, but hope doesn’t hold up a mirror. Hope is a horizon we head for, leaving nothing behind us, but fear. And though we may never reach our goals, it’s hope that will save us from who we once were.

Okay, so there is some obvious comedy there, but she’s pretty spot on. Hope is the force that pushes, drives, and beckons us to continue each day, in the face of adversity, for something better. It is most evident in those that stand tall, despite immense trial, and patiently wait for the calamity to end.

And again, speaking from someone who has been there, hope is something incredibly important that we must hold onto. Pray that you are never in the place where you can not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Now, I mentioned that there were two videos that brought this topic to mind. The second involves the recent internet sensation, Ted Williams. His is a story that I’ve been following for a few days if, for no other reason, that it helps renew my hope. Take a look at this 11 minute interview on NBC’s Today Show:

I hope that you caught the same thing that I did. Aside from the inspirational reaction that Ted has received since the story hit the internet, there is an interaction (starting at 5:47) that answers my final question of “how do we keep from losing hope?” Here is the transcript:

Matt Lauer: Your mom has lived long enough to see what is going to be, we hope, redemption… [Meredith Vieira and I] both worry, a little, that a lot is happening very quickly and some people might find that hard to deal with. Are you emotionally ready to accept this second chance, to do the right things with this second chance?

Ted Williams: This time around, Matt, I have God… in my life… acknowledging Him on a daily basis… I was ready to mark 2010 as another year wasted until I realized that, in 2010, I found a new sense of spirituality… I do want to say that the difference between my successes of years gone by, I didn’t acknowledge the Lord or thank him for anything before. You know, and I’ve had some great opportunities… but I never, not once, said, ‘Oh Lord, thank you for this’ or ‘thank you for another day’ or ‘forgive me for this.’ But this time around, I’m acknowledging him in all my ways.

Matt: So, you think you can make it?

Ted: Yes, sir.

So, can thanking God be the secret to not losing hope? Can simply waking up each day and saying, ‘thank you, Lord, for the morning’ be the missing piece that so many of us miss?

I have to admit that this is an area that I struggle with. I’m not always as thankful as I could be and, when I am, it’s usually right after I’ve been shaking my fist at Him for something. I need to do better. Something in Ted’s words are resonating in me. Call it conviction if you want, but I know it’s true and I need to follow his lead.

Father, I’m sorry for being selfish. Life is always about me and my needs. I often forget that each day is a gift that you have given. I thank you for the sunsets and the reminders that you are there along the way. I thank you for the talents you have given me, the dreams you have instilled in me, and the journey you have taken me. I thank you for the personal relationship that I can have with you and I’m sorry for each day that I don’t spend developing it or listening to what you have to say. Despite my current lacks and my current needs, I place my life in your hands and I thank you for it all. Please renew my hope. In Jesus name, Amen.