The Daily: Thursday December 11, 2025

May the God of hope fill you with such peace and joy in your faith, that you may be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Today we continue sitting with MaryAnn McKibben Dana’s list of “What Hope Is" from chapter two of Hope: A User's Manual.


Hope Accepts and Refuses to Accept
Hope does not deny reality. It accepts what is—the pain, the limits, the truth—and still refuses to call that reality final. Hope tells the truth about the present while insisting on the possibility of transformation.

Hope Is Either On or Off
Hope is not a sliding scale. It is not “a little hopeful” or “mostly hopeful.” It is a spark—lit or unlit. Even a single spark changes the darkness. Even the smallest “yes” to God’s future reorients everything.

Hope Holds Things Loosely
Hope does not cling or control. It releases outcomes, loosens its grip, and trusts God with what we cannot manage or mend. Hope makes room—room for change, room for grace, room for God.

Hope Is the Long View
Hope looks beyond immediate results. It sees the slow arc, the generations-long story, the hidden roots beneath the soil. Hope believes God is working in timelines larger than our own.

Reflection
Which of these aspects of hope—accepting, loosening, or taking the long view—feels hardest for you right now?

Prayer
God of patience and promise, help us release our tight grasp on outcomes. Give us courage to see with the long view, to trust the slow work of Your love. Amen.