. "Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future." That's a quote by Robert Schuller. Schuller is best known as the creator of the Hour of Power, a TV Evangelical show that ran for over forty years. Schuller "hoped: to have a positive impact on as many people as possible. And his Hour of Power certainly did that. I think it's very easy to see who is walking around led by their hopes, and who are being led by their hurts. In fact, almost anyone who is depressed is likely hurting from something. Whether it is real or imagined is often up for debate. What brings on a more fatalistic attitude? I see people who many would think have a good life, walking around as if all hope is lost. At the same time, I see people who you would think have a lot to be sad about, who walk around as if they are on the top of the world. One of the most optimistic people I think I have ever known is my old college roommate, Kevin. Kevin was caught in an apartment fire back in college and nearly died. He was burned badly across most of his body. He went through countless hours of operations to help repair his badly burned skin. When I first met him, he had already been through the first round of skin grafts. Even so, he was happy and full of life. In fact, I never heard him complain about his burns. He just took life as it came and was happy. Nearly thirty years later and he is still going strong. He is happily married to a beautiful woman, and he has just become a grandfather. It is amazing the struggle this man went through, and to think that he remained positive throughout his ordeal. Not only that, but he is outspoken for the burn units that helped him and does charity work for them. If ever there was an ordinary man who should be a hero, it would be Kevin. I never spoke with Kevin about the great respect I have for him. In fact, when I was younger, it never crossed my mind. We were friends, we had some great times together, that was it. Nowadays, I often think of Kevin while I am looking through quotes to write about for this blog. After he popped into my mind for about the third time in as many weeks, I thought I ought to write this post.
Hope. Some say its is a good breakfast, but a poor supper (Francis Bacon). I don't look at it as either. Hope is there to inspire you that there is a better way. Without action, though, hope is meaningless. Hope doesn't mean there is no work. Hope is there to say that if you do the work, then your reward is waiting. That is how I look at it anyway. Hope shows you the road... but YOU still have to walk it. Meanwhile hurt is a place. It does not show you a map on how to leave it. You need to do that on your own. And hope can help you to do that. Thus, hurt is a place that can be left behind with the help of hope and action.
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