There is simply no other way to do this wild, uncomfortable, glorious adventure without hope. Hope is not magic. It does not guarantee Hollywood ever after endings. There is no cure for being human. We will all have our own resumes of pain. The Angle Gabriel gave the ultimate proclamation of hope for humans: Nothing is impossible for God. God whispers, “Listen. Look here, I am doing a new thing.” For our part, we show up, hold on, welcome change, act bravely, be ready to resurrect (again and again).

When sadness visits your fortress and will not say when she is leaving, still hope.

When it doesn’t work out how you planned, still hope.

When you are holding broken dreams in your hands, still hope.

When what you believed to be true and trustworthy—is not, still hope.

When fear is running amok through the halls of your soul, still hope. 

When the culmination of losses have added up and it would be foolish to keep betting on life, still hope.

When betrayal has poisoned the well, still hope. 

When you can no longer make out the shape of goodness in the world, still hope.

When you feel uneasy, even frightened, for tomorrow, still hope. 

When you have lost your radiance and struggle for joy, still hope.

When you cannot remember the last time God crossed your threshold, still hope.

It is a delicate art to live a life of light when all around is darkness. There is no timepiece on how long you must still hope—probably a lifetime. Just know that God is never finished. Ultimately, all will come together for good. Be brave. Keep believing in heaven in glimmers here and one day eternally. Remember that kiss, the smile, the laughter, a hand in yours, that piece of scripture, the tune, sitting under a mother tree or by the sea, and keep stepping forward.

Stop. Look. Listen. Love.

The hope is there.