Let’s start with what being hopeful looks like. Being hopeful in a Biblical way is trusting that God is holding everything. It does not mean being happy all of the time or overlooking things that are wrong. It does mean doing the things that we can do and holding lightly the things that are not in our control (which is most things!). Praying about the wars in Ukraine or Gaza is important, but it is unlikely that we will be invited to the negotiating table. We can pack food at Feed My Starving Children and know that some of it will reach people displaced by wars. We may not be able to come alongside people cleaning up after flood recovery, but we can come alongside a neighbor or friend who is going through a health crisis. It doesn’t seem much when it’s just one person, but multiply it and it can have a bigger impact than we may realize as we trust all things to God’s care. – Pastor Trudy Stoffel
