Disclaimer: Hope is not nervous, fearful or jittery. It cannot make its home in a worrying body so kindly take the deep breathing exercise I will start you off with. Sit back. Take a deep breath, let the air out through your nostrils. One more time, this time with your mouth. Let it out with a sigh!

During the pencil days, I remember my English teacher struggling to help us learn the format of an informal vs a formal letter. One thing I could never forget from the format is:

‘Hello, Janet,

How are you? I hope you are doing well.'

I have no clue why I put so much effort to learn this when I hardly use half the words up there today. The whole informal letter fits into: ‘Wassup? Come home for the holidays!' Back then, when a letter took days to reach the other side and you had no clue if the letter reached safely until one fine day a reply comes your way!

‘Hello, Feba, How are you? Hope this letter finds you in good health.’

It revolved around one word:

HOPE

Hope is the feeling when the doctor tells a woman, you are going to be a mother. Hope is a state of surety, that your Colonel dad will knock on the door the next time he gets a holiday. Hope is the anticipation to score the best grades. Hope is when your love holds your hand and says, ‘I do'.

Say hello to Hope.

Miss Hope is a great lady. She is known as a perfectionist. I so want to be like Miss Hope!

I discovered that she likes to do her tasks on time & so is often in a state of hurry. I call it unwanted hurry because she then complains of being under work pressure. And she often gets anxious. Her lifestyle and her name don’t quite match.

I realized I cannot be Miss Hope just by knowing what Hope is. I need to work out ways to live a lifestyle that is worth the quality of Hope.

So, how should Miss Hope really feel like?

Miss Hope should be certain that she is capable of doing her task. Break down a difficult task to accomplish it. And, Miss Hope should be aware of the realities of life. This helps in becoming more purpose-driven.

The Bible calls it a race, you can run to be famous or you can run to simply enjoy being an athlete. Thank you, Miss Hope, for a life lesson.

Why do we need 'Hope'?

Hope is the best friend we have been holding on to since we were babies. When we cried, we were hoping to get our parents' attention so they can rush us to the loo. When we broke our tooth, we kept looking at the mirror because we had a surety that a new one will pop out. We hoped to clear our exams and go from one grade to the other until we hoped to become what we are today.

My quantitative research study in 2016 shows a fascinating low score on the anxiety of death. I learned that the majority of us are hopeful about life after death. Jesus promised eternity for those who believed in Him, a life without fear and drenched in the very love we were created in.

What do I do to be hopeful?

First, live life with an unselfish goal.

When we focus on ourselves we start to feel insufficient. God made us so we can be in fellowship with Him, He appreciates fellowship with our fellow mates too. Companionship and community can make a lot of difference. Acknowledging the families we have, accepting that it is not the perfect family but is sufficient to nourish and help us grow is very important.

Second, accept all that we are.

The good and the imperfection. God has a purpose in the way He made us. He needs every part of our personality to fulfil His plan from our life. We’re each made differently with a different life experience, so be prepared for the difference in opinions leading to conflicts. Everyone may not accept the way we are because they walked a different path. Respecting this truth can heal us from the hurts of our past, help us move boldly in the present and look forward towards hope for the future. Finally, remember, Romans 12:12 as a sacred motto,