A few years ago when I registered to run the Mississippi Blues Marathon, I hoped I would run and finish.  I wasn’t hoping to win 1st, 2nd or even 3rd place.  I just wanted to finish.  During the cold and hot months of training, when I wanted to quit, I kept going because my hope was in finishing..  I kept that vision before me—one of crossing the finish line.  And on that cold, cloudy day in January, I crossed the finish line after running/walking 26.2 miles!  What a feeling!

Hope is the driving force that keeps us moving forward.  Have you ever started a journey only to quit or take a detour after a few weeks?  More than likely, you lost hope and had nothing to keep you going.  When we lose our vision, we become distracted.  Once we’re distracted, we get off course and don’t accomplish our goals. When we don’t accomplish our goals, we become unfulfilled and eventually disillusioned and discouraged.

Several years ago, Jesse Jackson was known for saying, “Keep hope alive!”  We must all ‘keep hope alive’—that burning desire of what we want to see happening.  Have you lost hope or do you still believe?  What are you hoping for?

Hope is a powerful thing.

~Coletta Jones Patterson