When I first got home from my mission, I studied topic of hope in great depth. I really like this definition of hope: "Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance" (The Infinite Power of Hope). So what does it mean to have a perfect brightness of hope? One year for Christmas, I asked for the willow tree Angel of Hope ornament.
I think it is beautiful that the artist uses a lantern to symbolize hope. A lantern to me symbolizes being in the dark as well as being outside (away from the comfort and security of home). Hope, as well as faith, gives us enough light to keep moving forward. Sometimes hope is simply knowing generally what is out there. We do not know how soon it will come across our path or in what shape it will take. To me, a perfect brightness of hope means finding the right balance between relying on the Lord and putting forth our own effort to accomplish what we desire.
Being away from family, holidays can be saddening. For Thanksgiving, I tried to volunteer at a soup kitchen but it didn't end up working out. I ended up spending the day working on Christmas cards, eating a Lean Cuisine turkey dinner, and wishing that I could be at work. Easter isn't as bad because I was used to being away from home because I was away at school. The thing was my roommates were there. Here, where all my roommates live with in an easy distance of their families it makes it a bit more difficult. One of them offered to have me over for Easter dinner with her family, but I have to admit, I feel awkward going to a family dinner where I only know one person.
With almost every major holiday, there are traditions that surround it. I look forward to the day when I get to share these traditions with my own family. However, I'm not waiting until I have my own family to establish these traditions. As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your 'once upon a time' is now" (Your Happily Ever After).
Growing up, the Easter Bunny came on the Saturday before Easter. This allowed us to focus on the Atonement and resurrection on Easter. On Friday night, I put together Easter baskets for my roommates and hid eggs through out the house. It was fun to come home from work on Saturday afternoon and see baskets full of eggs. I am glad my roommates are willing to participate in traditions even if they may not be "age-appropriate."
Another tradition I would like to carry on is having a nice Easter dinner. This afternoon, I made a nice dinner (well nice for me). Part of me wished that I had had the dishes from my hope chest because I have hope that one day I will not be eating Easter dinner alone. :)
We all have things that we hope for in our lives, things that are good and righteous desires. We hope for marriage, children, jobs, or other things that will bring joy into our lives and blessings into the lives of others. We must remember "all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" (Preach My Gospel, pg. 52). I am so grateful for the Atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, for the hope that in brings into my life. Elder M. Russell Ballard once said, “My message to you today, my brothers and sisters, is simply this: the Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis. His purposes will be fulfilled, and someday we will understand the eternal reasons for all of these events. Therefore, today we must be careful to not overreact, nor should we be caught up in extreme preparations; but what we must do is keep the commandments of God and never lose hope!”
3 comments:
I love your thoughts and the examples of hope that are in your life. I'm so glad you are writing your "once upon a time" now and not waiting for it to begin. You'll be so glad you didn't miss these days by looking past them. Happy Everyday! dear Lauren.
I love hearing your thoughts! It makes me miss you!
You have a great perspective on this. I especially agree with the first quote. I also know that it's really easy to lose that hope when you are forced to wait for the things you want more than anything else. It's especially hard when you know that the desires of your heart are righteous ones and when we don't know and definitely can't guess the eternal reasoning behind it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Lauren, you have made some really good points in here and I've gained some strength from the things you've written. I've been blessed to have you as a friend. Thinking about you often, Katie
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