Strong Hope

Hope is a funny thing. You cannot directly see it. You may be able to see the results of it. What are those results? More times than not they manifest themselves as progress towards some sort of goal. This may be a very tangible thing such as a task being completed or work being done. But the hope I am after results in emotional progress. To me emotional progress is deeper than "works" progress. Hope gives meaning when there is non to find in your current state. Hope gives you the will to keep picking up a piece here, a shred there even when you find yourself sinking deeper and deeper into an unknown.
I thought a lot about hope while I ran during lunch today. My injuries still biting at my soul. Injuries both physically but also mentally. I thought about how can I have hope when one day even though I think at times I will escape it, death shall come. Without having hope NOW I am already dead. I will have no progress. When one is broken to the core and has lost every shred of hope life stops. I thought about all of the struggles each one of us has. Both visually but more important mentally. I know myself I can be cold,proud,arrogant and angry. Hope is found in non of those things. It is found in joy,truth,love and many times struggle.
At the end of my run I began to think about how important it is to be full of hope. Hope of things yet unseen, yet to come. This may sound like wishful thinking but I think there is great strength to be found in hope. A gentle steady strength. One hope built on top of another an inner strength comes. It does not come quickly and takes constant work. As anything of value in this life it's not easy. Life is hard. Hope is hard. But life is valuable and so is hope.
Though I found myself wanting to set timelines,specific goals and expectations today about my progress I know I need to step back and look long term. I need to hope not in the short term but in the long term of the unseen. Not that it's wrong to look short term and constantly look at your goals. But your goals can begin to rule you and smother hope. Today I have begun to explore the art of finding balance in keeping an eye on the short term,the long term and trusting in the unknown hoping in things yet seen.