“HOPE”-ENINGS

When Jim and I first moved to our home in West Virginia, I was thrilled to find a quiet meadow along my walking route. This meadow overlooked the lovely rolling hills and offered a splendid view of the sunrise. I had longed for such a contemplative, solitary place to pause for a moment and reflect. We had sadly left behind a metro-park that was within walking distance from our home in Toledo, so this “find” was a true blessing!

A few years ago, “my” meadow became a city park filled with baseball fields, a disc golf course, pickle ball courts, a playground–and a parking lot to accommodate the sports enthusiasts.

Although the scene was not the same, I could still view the sunrise over the ball fields…

until the day when tall, netted safety fences and light posts surrounded them.

Still determined to see the sunrise, I extended my walk beyond the baseball fields to find an unobstructed view.

Well, then a gate was extended across the graveled entrance to the park. I squeezed through the small opening between the gate and post for a week or two, until one day there was an orange cone and stone slab placed in front of that opening! I asked one of my park employee friends, “Is it still okay if I walk through here?” and he assured me that it was. And so, I continued on, squeezing through the opening, then stepping around the cone and stone.

But I began to reflect on the word, “perseverance.” When does it make sense to persevere, and when does it not? When does my dogged determination become silly stubbornness? Will there be a time when I need to give up my sunrise walks altogether? Soon a variety of other questions came to my mind; most importantly, this one:

Should I keep trying to make this world a better place, or are the obstacles insurmountable?

And here is where I found my answer… just this week, a new portion of fencing went up–with an opening for walkers and cyclists!

As long as we can find openings, we can have hope: “Hope-enings!”

If there is an opening, there is still a pathway before us, inviting us onward.

“Hope-enings” are all around us, and it helps if we remember:

A new and different path can be a wonderful change.
Perhaps there are several paths that lead to similar outcomes.
We may need to look above the distractions to see the divine.
Working our way around obstacles may bring us to new possibilities.
A full and glorious vista could be just a few more steps away.
Asking clarifying questions will help to guide our path.
Our determination might just inspire someone to decide, “I’m going to open a new way for them.”

Best of all, we have a Holy Companion and an Inner Compass for every step of our journey; revealing–and at times, creating–every “hope-ening” we will need to persevere.

(Photos by Karen)