Thursday Evening - Hope

Well, all across the South tonight--at least in Texas and Alabama--eyes are glued to the television. I'm not a football fan. Yes, I know, it's heresy for a southerner. But I do love sports movies. Miracle, Glory Road, Remember the Titans, Chariots of Fire, Rudy, The GridIron Gang. Ironically, I have never seen a Rocky movie. But all of these are stories of hard work paying off, stories of the underdog triumphing, stories of lives changed, stories of hope. Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to circumstances in our lives. Hope is a spiritual grace, a gift of God. Hope keeps us from despair, keeps us from giving up, keeps us going. "What if this is as good as it gets?" asks Melvin Udall in a movie of the same title, a comment devoid of hope. Fortunately, this is not as good as it gets. No matter what happens here on earth, there is something better waiting for us. And congratulations, Alabama fans. Texas can hope for next year.

Have a blessed night.

--Laura