On Hope

I've been thinking lately about hope. It has been influenced by the Holy Father's visit and I try very hard to keep my pondering on Christ, as the Holy Father so beautifully calls us to. Christ our hope. Very simple words, but I find myself turning them over and over in my mind, plunging deeply into the what they mean. No matter how I perceive situations in my life, things within and without my control, no matter if I can easily solve a problem or know that it is completely out of my hands, I must turn to Christ, my hope. Even when the deepest longings of my heart are good, I cannot place my hope in them, only in Christ. As I write I see how it may seem this comes easy to me. It is not. I often find myself like that tired, frustrated child, who doesn't understand why she needs to keep walking. You know what I mean. The child that stomps her feet, crosses her arms and refuses to take one more step. My Father in Heaven is so much more patient with me than I am. My impulse would be to drag that child along no matter what. Not Him. He waits, He beckons, He comforts. As much as I may be distracted by the good things around me, He calls me ever closer to Him. He knows I am walking towards what is good as long as I follow His Son, my hope.