Day 5

Faith, Love and Hope.

 

What a day! Day five, my first night shift, and rain! I slept for about 5 hours and then walked. I just got in and I am so full! So let me begin.

Audacity of Hope ...that's Barack Obama's book... I love those words...audacity of hope. I thought about a lot of things that with out hope would have ...should have been nothing and then hope slips in and changes everything.

Let me try and paint a picture. The 2004  Red Sox Team and winning the world series. By itself  it is a nice thought, but when you realize the history and what it took to get there....the small stories ...the hope ...the faith and believing and a group of people who loved enough to believe when things looked quite bad. Not only bad but the same familiar pattern that had happened for decades.

There is a strong love for the Red Sox in New England. ( As many teams have with their fans) I remember clearly the 1967 team. I remember the record that we got at the gas station about the "Impossible Dream" and all of us kids singing that song as we drove with my parents. I remember Fenway Park as a child. Going in on the bus with all the other kids in the summer, sitting in the bleachers and trying to come up with enough money for cracker jacks. I remember throughout the years and the many times we all thought this was the year. Dreams are big at the beginning of every season and when the play offs came and we were there, there was much speculation and hope for a well loved team.

Let me move to 2004, there was still a great love, even after a very disappointing loss to the Yankees in 2003. There was hope and faith that this was our year and then the dreaded Yankees. Down three games to none. Everything seemed as it had always been...great promise only to end in disappointment. Great disappointment.

There is a DVD that was made after the season. Curt Schilling does an interview where he talks about looking into the stands and seeing people crying and the hope being diminished. They could see it in the faces of the people watching that game.

Then the next morning as he made his way to the ball field, hurt not sure of he would pitch or if he could even pitch. He saw people holding signs as he drove ...with one word ..BELIEVE. And hope began to build. He saw the signs all the way to the field. Kids  and adults holding them ...nailed to poles ...and he thought could I pitch...could there be a way....maybe ...

And hope began...

I know you all know what happened. It is the details. The hope that sparked that team to take that game one out at a time, to slow down and celebrate the very small victories that built hope. The belief that sparked hope. Never giving up when facing the impossible.  Hope that sparked a group of people to dig in and accomplish the impossible.

The Audacity of Hope.

Hope encourages. Hope grows out of no where and brings great thing Hope is eternal.

Hope encourages. Hope grows love. Hope sparks belief.

Who have you encouraged today...whose hope have you sparked. Imagine a home made sign tacked to a tree sparked the hope of a team to accomplish the impossible. The smallest gesture bringing the greatest results. Are you the spark that encourages hope?

We all praying here know about Faith Love and Hope. We know the love of a God that gave His only son for us. For our sins. That gesture sparked hope for generations. Imagine if you sparked hope for someone?

Faith is action. Today ...dare to spark hope. Look at something in a different light. Smile and say hello. Listen to someone's story ... really listen ...no matter how hard. Dare to ask someone is everything ok...can I help. Share a meal...visit an elderly neighbor... give someone in need ..something they need. Light the flame of hope. Tack that sign to a tree..

Send a link of this journal to someone who may need a faith push, ask God to show you someone who needs hope. You'll be more than glad you did. There is nothing like it. Do it today and dare to share it with us. Spark our hope.....

The Audacity of Hope.

Spark it in someone today.

 

Father I thank you for the rain. I thank you for everyone praying. I lift them before you and ask that you bless them mightily and in a big way. Father I ask that you show each of us how to spark hope today. That each of us would be that light that brings hope to hopeless. I thank you for the vision and that it has sparked hope. I pray you protection around each of us. That nothing that is not from you will prosper. I thank you for what you have done, I thank you for what you are going to do. I pray this in Jesus name Amen!