Hope

Hope - 1. To wish for something with expectation of its fulfilment.

2.  To have confidence; trust.

v.tr.

1. To look forward to with confidence or expectation

2. To expect and desire. 

n.

1. A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfilment.

2. Something that is hoped for or desired

Hope.  

I was thinking the other day about the season that I am in right now.  I call it a season because I know it will pass - it will soon pass.  But for now I am in a season of....  hope. I have a desire for something to change, I have something that I am hoping for with confident expectation that it will come to pass. 

In other words I am not satisfied with the way things are, but rather than wallow in what is right now - that thing that I cant change - i look forward confidently to a time when (I hope and desire that) things will be different.  

And I would rather live in hope than in hopelessness.  

I was thinking the other day about the term 'prodigal' .  And I supposed its meaning to be of a child who was wayward but had returned to his home and family - or is yet to return, confidently hoped for...with emphasis on the RETURNING.  

I wondered if it was linked to prodigy - an impressive or outstanding example of a particular quality - usually in terms of a child - 

or prodigious - impressive, marvellous, wonderful or amazing. (filled with HOPE)

so i looked up the word prodigal.  

I was surprised and taken aback by what i read.  It means none of that.  the word prodigal is as follows

prod·i·gal  

/ˈprädigəl/

Adjective Spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

Noun A person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way.

Synonyms adjective.   lavish - profuse - extravagant - wasteful - spendthrift noun.   spendthrift - waster - wastrel - spender - squanderer .   A wasteful spender, freely recklessly wastefully extravagant.   Imagine that. the thing that hit me was that all this time I presumed to know that prodigal meant one thing while really it meant another.   Imagine then if your story could change the meaning of a word or a phrase from something negative to something that inspires hope ... so much so that the original meaning is lost. .. The story of the prodigal son - a boy who at the know it all age of whatever, demands his inheritance to leave home and live as he pleases, rejecting his upbringing, his parents, his family and his responsibilities.  He recklessly wastefully and extravagantly spends the entire lot on parties and friends... good times, but when the money is gone, his friends abandon him and in need of food he winds up as a servant in a pig farm eating with the swine.  From there he thinks of how good the servants had it at his fathers home and wonders if he could be his fathers servant, they were treated better than this, and he goes home, hoping that his father will let him live as a servant in his home.   Obviously he had never been a parent, he had no idea the heart ache of a father or a mother for their 'lost' child.  He had no idea the sleepless nights spent wondering and worrying and praying and hoping.  He knew nothing of the sacrifices his parents had made of their own lives to allow him to take and do as he pleased.  He didn't see their tears, he didnt even think about whether they missed him every single day and he didn't know it was never about the money, it was always about him, whether he was OK.    How many times had his father watched in HOPE for his sons return?  While he was still far off his father saw him and ran to him, put a robe around him and a ring on his finger and had a feast in his honour - his long hoped for son had returned home.   What if your situation right now, that thing that you cannot change that thing that looks impossible that you have labelled hopeless - what if the thing you hope for with confident expectation of fulfilment is the very thing that brings new meaning to a word or a phrase or a season, so much so that the original meaning is lost and replaced by your experience.   Imagine - the word menacing to mean aiding and assisting             - the term busy body to mean caring and going the extra mile - helpful well you get the idea.  Turn your own test into a testimony - do not lose hope.   A friend communicated a story today about a man who always came into the place that she worked  grumpy and gruff and nobody could get a smile out of him no matter how hard they tried.  Yet she is lovely charming and persistent - a year later, he now stops in for a chat and says 'take care' when he leaves.  Persistence in doing good and not letting the current circumstances rule you bring about good results, just keep on doing good and doing right - what you sow you will reap.   be encouraged.  Turn your season of disappointment into a season of HOPE.  And never give up.