They That Hope: The 2022 Prayer Pledge // Day 20

The Effects of Hope // Positive Attitude

Years ago, shortly after my grandfather died, I asked my grandma how she was doing and what it was like to wake up everyday without him. She amazed me with a response I didn't expect, and she spoke so simply and matter-of-fact. She said, “I decided a long time ago that happiness is a choice. Every single day I just choose to be happy.”

This was the woman who just lost the love of her life, and here she was sitting with me at her kitchen table sharing words of such strength and optimism. This idea that happiness is a choice totally transformed my perspective.

For example, instead of choosing to be annoyed when I would hear people around me complaining, I started to consider the fact that this person may have had a really rough day, or maybe they didn’t have anyone else in their life who expressed concern for their problems. In addition, it was also an opportunity for me to thank God that I wasn’t experiencing the same struggles.

But we shouldn’t just keep our optimism to ourselves. It is meant to be shared. In a world where many of us walk around with our faces glancing down at our phones, we could all use a reason to lift them back up again. A smile, a gesture as small as a smile, can be powerful enough to save a life.

It is much easier to choose happiness when one has hope. Austrian psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor, and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl, wrote about how hope is essential. It gives life purpose and meaning, and a way through difficult circumstances. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “The one who has hope lives differently.”

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Let Us Pray

Father, we want to have Your eternal vision over our limited vision. Help us to see every person and circumstance we encounter through Your eyes and help us to love and live with You Heart. Amen!

For Discussion

How does hope help you live differently?

Who is someone in your life who has been a witness of hope to you?

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About Susanna Parent

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Susanna Parent is a regular contributor to the BIS blog, speaker and a freelance writer. While a Wisconsin native, she now begins her mornings brewing French press coffee in the home she shares with her husband and children in the Twin Cities. When the sun sets, you’ll find her with friends enjoying a glass of red wine, preferably outside underneath twinkly lights. When not exploring all that the Twin Cities has to offer, she is indulging her wanderlust spirit by brainstorming their family's next new adventure. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Susanna's posts here.