Advent - Week 1, Day 6: The Message of Hope

What2Say2Day? Hope is the knowledge that things will get better. Hope is the feeling we have when maybe, just maybe, there's a chance things will turn out as we wish - maybe. There's never a guarantee the things we hope for will happen, nor is there a guarantee they won't. and in the latter part of that last statement lays hope. If we believe there is a chance things will be okay in the end we can get through and accomplish everything; because all things are possible with hope. Besides my work with Youth in my church I also work with high school students as a classroom helper and tutor. Yesterday, with the help of one of the Youth I work with, I saw hope in action. This student has a high desire to play on a sports team, but had very little chance because of his grades. Weeks of encouragement from many of his adult mentors (aka teachers and coaches) produced little results in the student. I found out he was so deeply buried with missing work that the chances of him catching up and getting the grade necessary to play in high school sports were dismal; the young man had no hope. We worked and worked, whittling away at his back work while he continued to go to practices. His coaches and teachers kept telling him he could do it, he could make the team before the first game, just keep working hard. Within two weeks he got his grade in most classes to where it needed to be - except for one. This is a class that has been a contention for the student all year. On Wednesday the student finally approached that class' teacher and they spoke about what was going on and why the class was a difficult one for him. In the conversation a new relationship was formed; a relationship which allowed the barriers to be broken down. Then out of nowhere and with renewed hope the student did enough work to get the grade in that class he needs to be on the team. There's still no guarantee he'll be on the team, but the hope has never been greater. HOPE - Healing Others with Prayer and Encouragement.