If I think too much about what’s in the news, I could become overwhelmed.  It’s filled with stories of violence, hatred, and fear.  We are inundated with a sense of hopelessness and problems too big to turn around.  The radio speaks of crime, corruption, and the threat of war.  Yet when I look out my window, I see neighbors mowing the lawn of the elderly.  I pass a friend helping to catch a puppy who has decided to play in the middle of the street.  My Facebook feed shows friends at the county fair, beautiful smiling babies, and the (sometimes) excited faces of kids’ first day of school.  It’s two sides of a coin really.  We can become overwhelmed with negativity, or we can become overwhelmed with hope.

God wants to overwhelm us with hope.  “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)  We see his plans all around us.  It’s in the life of a young missionary who boarded a plane for Nepal immediately after the earthquakes.  Why?  She wanted to overwhelm the Nepali with hope.  What about churches coming together in Norwalk, Ohio to provide schoolkids with free backpacks, shoes, and socks for the upcoming school year?   What about the Salvation Army that quietly serves free meals to kids all summer long?  Despite what I see on the 6:00 news, I will focus on these stories.  “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:21-23 NLT)

There are countless stories that won’t make national headlines.  We need to focus on these ones.  So I ask you, what causes you to become overwhelmed with hope?