IT IS NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU
As long as you are breathing,
it is not too late for you
to bravely pursue what speaks to your heart
and discover what it is you have been called to do.
As adults, sometimes “having hope” can feel a bit naive. The idea of anticipating that something good is going to happen even though we’ve seen so many things go wrong can feel reckless and immature. But hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is the audacity to believe: “I do not have all of the answers but I know there is more ahead of me.”
Hope is knowing that you don’t have to have everything figured out for the future before you take action. You don’t have to be fearless before you sow seeds of faithfulness.
So much of our adult lives are spent preparing for the future, and this often centers on things that could go wrong. From the time we are young, many of us are taught to always have a Plan A and Plan B when it comes to our career choices. We are encouraged and even pressured to get into relationships or be a part of certain groups so we don’t end up alone or viewed as outsiders. Even when it comes to marketing and advertising, we are bombarded with fear-tactic messaging that makes us think we need to buy certain things to prevent something from going wrong.
There is nothing wrong with adequately preparing for all possible outcomes, but oftentimes, we forget to prepare for the best outcomes, too. We forget that the amount of time we spend preparing for the worst doesn’t have to outweigh the time we spend preparing for the best. Even when all of the odds are stacked against us, and we cannot imagine how we could ever get out of this low place, we still have every right to have hope. We still have every right to trust that tomorrow could be better, and take whatever action we can to show that we truly believe that.
As long as you are still breathing, you are not as far gone as you think. You may be deep in the valley, but you can also be deeply rooted in hope. You might encounter people that tell you it’s too late for you. You might have moments throughout the day where you are reminded of all the times you failed. But that doesn’t take away from the well of hope that is stirring inside you, waiting to be ignited, right here where you are.
Take deep breaths today. Take some time to complete this statement:
“Amidst all of the uncertainty, I still hope that _______.”
Write it down. Reflect on it. Remember to believe that you are allowed to have this hope. It doesn’t mean that everything is going to come together in the way you want it to or in the timeframe you thought it would, but one thing hope does is this: it strengthens you. It strengthens your soul right here in the valley, all while you are still being guided right where you need to be.
(This post here is an excerpt from the Storyteller App series called "I Still Have Hope ", available to download for iOS and Android! Free Daily Encouragement Notifications (no subscription required) plus premium features: Longer reads, device wallpapers, journal prompts, affirmations and more included. Free trial - no credit card required.)
Word of the day: Able “having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something.” (Oxford)
Journal: What things are you able to do right now that give you hope for the future?
Affirmation: “Amidst all of the uncertainty, I still hope that _______.”
Sincerely,
Morgan
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols
