Brother David Steindl-Rast
I collect quotes like books, scribble them down in random notebooks and even have a pinterest board dedicated to them. So, Millennial I know, even though I'm Gen X. But, despite the "I could give two shits about age related labels", I love quotes and they love finding me. Especially the perplexing ones surrounding Hope.
Hope for me for many years has been a pretty fickle friend. You can't help loving the concept of it... like Having Hope when everything is going wrong or even when things are going blissfully right. Using Hope via our imaginations to create that perfect brand of Hopefulness for a new job, a love interest or even in our most desperate of times. Where Hope seems to be the only thing navigating us down those crap streams of uncertainty.
But, this is where hope gets really frustrating often misleading. Our Ideas/Imagination of hope take over and Leaves real Hope in the corner waiting for us to show back up. After the job turns out to be much more challenging then you ever imagined. The Love interest turns into a real douche or you end up really falling in love despite all the things you never hoped for... Once we come back to real hope and really listen to what it's offering us.
Something really beautifully weird Happens: Surprise. And this is why I LOVE this quote by Brother David Steindl-Rast above. This 92-year old Benedictine Monk (Below I will have links to his Ted Talk and Super Soul Sunday conversation with Oprah), who defies age with his amazing spiritual Grateful wisdom. Finally opening my own eyes to a whole new approach to Hope. It's not fickle anymore nor misleading. It's now heart blowing. Where my imagination takes no more hopeful interpretations of something I actually can not create or control. My only obligation is to sit back and see what hope does. Yes, I still imagine scenarios of things I desire wholeheartedly in my life and take mindful steps towards them. But, I don't take them that seriously. I just open my heart to the opportunity and let the Surprise story unfold. It actually takes a lot of pressure of me to know I can only do so much and God's plan will always override mine for better or learning in the end.
I really hope this all makes a little sense to you:) if not listen to Brother David for yourself. It has been such a blessing to me and I HOPE it is for you as well. *Pun totally intended.
Love, C.