Planning has always been hard, but it’s as hard now as any time any of us might remember.  Yes, we have had ups and downs and times when uncertainty seemed the dominant force that put us in paralysis as we tried to think about the future.  But, the time we have been in, and are in now, has almost made planning impossible. That is beyond maybe the week in front of us.  I get asked often on what I think will happen or come next.  I always have an opinion, but that opinion is really no more than a guess.  Sure, I try and read everything I can about what has happened (learn from history), what is happening now (current sentiments) and what is coming (futurism).  But, at the end of all the patterns and analysis, my guess is really as good as yours.  But, I am sure of one thing.  You see, hope can never be misconstrued to be a strategy, but hope can be part of our planning. Hope is an attitude.  Hope is a motivation.  Hope is a driver.  So, when we plan, if we factor in hope, then we set ourselves up for the best set of outcomes possible.  So, don’t give up on hope!

We would be turning our back on God if we give up on hope. We are told that hope is one of three things that will last forever.  That’s a big list of things that didn’t make the final three, so ignore the rest and focus in on faith, hope and love if you want to plan a certain future.  We are still very early into 2021 and there is still time to lay out our goals and objectives for the year.  It’s possible that they might get all turned upside down like last year, but the power and promise of hope should make us want to sit down and scribe out what it is we would like to achieve. Hope can carry us a long way, so let’s not forget to place it, along with faith and love front and center for this year.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 13:13 (New Living Translation)