What a blessing to be able to have some free time to read the experiences of another person that gives hope. When I think about my battles, they seem so sublime in comparison. In the first chapter and in the Prologue Obama speaks of the times that he could have given up hope, but he didn't. While running for U.S. Senate he would show up at churches, bridge groups, union halls, etc. only to have a few people there. Sometimes he would speak at the end of a union meeting that had already declared support for another candidate. That kind of blind faith is exactly what keeps me going. His life is a true inspiration to many Americans, having lost faith in this country. While I know some may find his political stances offensive, his faith can be held up without question. He believed and continues to believe that we are capable of more, not just as a nation, but as a species. When I start to go down that tunnel of despair and self-serving pity, I pull my head up and wonder what the day must be like for the person responsible for so much. Given we are in the worst economic times since the Depression, the way in which our current president continues to instill hope into this nation is electrifying. Obama's hope has gripped my mind and makes my journey seem like a piece of cake. My goal for this week is to find a way I can be of service to my community. It may be a small as offering free babysitting to a mom overwhelmed by the needs of her children. It may be running a team meeting for my son's baseball team. It may be finding greeters for church. It might mean making sure the teens in my children's lives have a fruitful week off from school. It may mean instead of thinking about the difficulties, focusing on the possibilities. While my service seems menial, it is what I can offer. I can only hope that what I do offer provides hope to someone else down the line. La Audacia de la Esperanza!
pictures: http://www.audioeditions.com/audio-book-images/The-Audacity-of-Hope-E5R409L.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/2338851042_49e90dc102_o.jpg
1 comment:
lovely post. the best thing we can offer is ourselves. one question i often like to ask of others is "what if your presence is enough?" that (to me) is hopeful!
thanks for stopping by my site...perhaps i shared a little hope today :-)
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