It’s funny how my mind works, and how God talks to me. He told me to write about hope this week. As soon as I heard that in my spirit, I immediately thought of a poem by Emily Dickinson titled, “Hope is the thing with feathers.” All I can ever remember is the opening stanza because it’s my favorite part: “Hope is the thing with feathers—/That perches in the soul—/And sings the tune without words—/And never stops—at all—.” First of all, I love Emily Dickinson because she was considered weird, wrote almost exclusively for herself, and she used dashes like they were going out of style. I have also loved so many of her messages, but this one has a special place in my memory bank. I always feel lighter when I read it.
I didn’t get to complete that thought before He was asking me if I remembered the story of Johnny Appleseed (Chapman). He knows perfectly well that I remember it—it was my favorite story growing up that my great-aunt Martha (Auntie Mar) used to read to me. I don’t know why I loved it so much other than he walked around with a pan on his head barefooted in old ratty clothes and sackcloth. What wasn’t to love about that? I was a redneck girl who lived on a farm and ran around everywhere without shoes on. I was always getting yelled at by my mother to “put some shoes on!” I felt like Johnny Appleseed would have gotten me. Anyway...the Holy Spirit continued by telling me that I needed to be like Johnny Appleseed. At first, I was like, “Yes! This is my chance!” Then, I was like, “Wait a minute. You want me to put a pot on my head and walk around barefoot planting apple trees?”
I feel like God either has a great sense of humor with me or is nearly always rolling his eyes. Either way, he’s patient no matter how much of a rabbit trail my mind seems to go down. So, he continued with a “No, planting seeds of hope.” I just sat there. The Holy Spirit has been talking to me about what I’m starting to think is my purpose—spreading hope. I pray that doesn’t sound arrogant because it’s extremely humbling to me that He is using me for anything. I’m so grateful that he’s helping me use my voice; I’m even more grateful that he’s using me to help others with it. (This whole instance occurred in my prayer closet time on Sunday night for future reference.) I am such a teeny tiny insignificant life in the midst of billions of other lives. There’s nothing special about me, except for my God and how He uses me. He makes me special because he loves me unconditionally. Back to the story…
I didn’t know what to do with this statement, though, and I don’t really know how one plants seeds of hope. I just said something like, “Ok, Jesus. Please show me how you want me to do this.” Well, little did I know that I was going to see just how someone does this later in this very same week on Wednesday morning in Lamar, Colorado. The school (I work at a high school if you don’t know me.) was planning to take kids to a presentation in Lamar on Wednesday morning to listen to a 9-11 survivor from the World Trade Center. His name is Will Jimeno, and his story was awe-inspiring for me. It was quite possibly the best-ever keynote speech I’ve been to in my 22 years teaching. (P.S. If you get a chance to hear him speak or to read one of his books, please do. I think C.A.F. Media may have it saved on their site, as Cory Alan Forgue recorded it that day.) Anyway, the main message Jimeno kept repeating was that truly living life is all about faith, hope, and love. He had various messages, but this one hit me right in the heart and soul.
He shared his story—that’s how he planted a seed of inspiration and hope in my heart. So, I guess sharing my little stories with you might just be a way to plant seeds of hope in your life. I certainly hope and pray that my little life can impact another life in a positive way. One more possibly ironic note: my all-time favorite movie is Hope Floats. It’s not some deep cinematic masterpiece, but it’s a movie full of truth about the struggles of life and about finding hope in the middle of it all. The most beloved line from that movie, to me, (and I’ve got several) is when Birdie (Sandra Bullock) says that her mother used to tell her that “Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up.” I urge you to join me in embracing the sometimes unexpected new beginnings, living the middle to the fullest, and letting that hope float up!
