One of my all-time favs. Shawshank Redemption. One line. “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.” Hope. Is. Good. Hope. Is. Great. How do I, or any of us face a trial or trauma without hope. Hope of healing. Hope of diminishing pain. Hope of a long future. Ultimately. Hope. For. An. Eternity. With. Jesus. As I’ve shared my “recharge” weekend with some very close friends and family. One common topic. Hope. How would we do this without hope? How would the poking, prodding, needles, surgeries, side-effects, etc. be worth it. Bearable. Tolerable. Without hope. We must have hope. Without hope for a tomorrow – today is discouraging. Without hope of Jesus – this path is dark. Hope brings joy. Hope brings happiness. Hope brings strength. Hope is the foundation for surviving trauma in our lives. And “no good thing (hope) ever dies”. When we place our “hope” in Jesus. Our “hope” in eternity. It never dies. So come with me. Experience Hope. Then – no matter the ending – we have lived. We have experienced joy. We have experienced complete happiness. We. Have. Experienced. Hope.