Growing HopeSample

The Bible uses the word hope nearly 200 times across translations. Emily Dickinson once wrote that “hope is the thing with feathers.” Isn’t that a beautiful picture? Hope gives us the strength to rise each morning and face the day.

Yet when I reflect on hope, I remember a season when it was missing from my life. Years ago, I wandered into a Davis-Kidd bookstore in Nashville and discovered The Optimism Factor by M. Blaine Smith. It came at a time when I was wrestling with self-doubt and anxiety.

A friend—rather bluntly—pointed out that I was becoming a “Debbie Downer” and suggested I might need to rediscover optimism. At the time, expecting the worst felt normal. It was part of my family’s DNA, shaped by a strict evangelical upbringing. Hope seemed foolish. Now I know better.

Optimism is another word for faith—the fraternal twin of hope.

So often, we let a small seed of hope fall into the soil and wonder if it will take root. Maybe it just needs enough sun, rain, and not too much wind to grow. Today, I believe we can nurture hope and learn to trust God.

As someone who loves metaphors, I see hope through the lens of gardening. I have a weakness for wildflower seeds, always dreaming of the beauty they might one day bring.

Over the next few days, let’s explore how to cultivate a vibrant garden of hope in our lives.

Reflect

• What situation in your life requires hope?
• How might growing in hope change your life?

About the Author
Cindy Morgan is a Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter and author from East Tennessee whose work spans music, literature, and advocacy. She lives near Nashville with her husband and their blended family of five children.