Hope, Dream, Love, Believe. Anyway.

I'm always amazed at all of the places that truth shows up.  One of the contestants on American Idol sang  this song by Martina McBride last night:

"Anyways"

You can spend your whole life buildin'

Something from nothin'

One storm can come and blow it all away

Build it anyway

You can chase a dream

That seems so out of reach

And you know it might not ever come your way

Dream it anyway

God is great, but sometimes life ain't good

When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should

But I do it anyway

I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy and its hard to believe

That tomorrow will be better than today

Believe it anyway

...

You can pour your soul out singing

A song you believe in

That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang

Sing it anyway

Yeah, sing it anyway

I sing, I dream, I love

Anyway

This song speaks to a commitment that I have made to myself to choose hope, as best as I can.  I choose hope because I would rather live my life hopeful than not. Why not, as the song suggests, believe for the most, live for the most, seize the most, love the most, hope for the most.  Isn't that a much better way to live than the alternative?

I've lived long enough to know that life gets marked by seasons. During those seasons, God is working to develop us, grow us and prepare us for what's ahead,  in ways that we can't often see until we're well past that season of our lives. I would say that we are in one of those seasons right now:  we're right where we're supposed to be, but its not entirely clear what is ahead or specifically what God is doing in our lives.  So, while its difficult for me to always see what this season is about, I do know that one day I'll be able to look back on this season and say, "Oh, so THAT's what was going on and THAT's what God was doing!" What I don't want to do, upon looking back, is this:  "Oh, so THAT's what God was up to!  Well, if I had only known that, I would have been more hopeful all along!"  No, I want to live each day filled with maximum hope  simply because of who God is and how God works in our lives.    So, even though I don't see it all right now, I choose hope.... Anyway.

May we all, no matter what season of life we are in, choose to live life fully.  Hoping, Dreaming, Loving, Believing.... Anyway.