Hope (by Kathrynn Thompson)

HOPE: to desire something and expect that it will happen or be obtained (Webster’s dictionary)

I was sitting in church yesterday reading the bulletin and there was a story about a woman diagnosed with cancer. Shortly after she finished her initial treatment she discovered she had another primary cancer. She said in the midst of her “fear, self-pity and discouragement” she began to think about hope and what hope means. She felt that while she was in this difficult situation it was hard to sustain the kind of hope that is based on wishful thinking: “I hope this cancer is taken care of by my surgery”, I hope my life will be easier once I get past the hurdle of treatment” or “I hope my surgeon is experienced”. This patient felt she needed to anchor her hope in something more than optimism and for her this was spirituality. Her spirituality was expressed through her belief in God. She found the scriptures “ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13) and “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” ( Hebrews 6:19) to be helpful.

 

For many of our patients their hope is anchored in their spirituality. In healthcare, we often define spirituality as connection: connection to self, connection to others and connection to something bigger than self. Spirituality can be expressed in many ways and through many different belief systems: Islam, Judaism, Native American beliefs, nature and Buddhism to name a few. Here are some quotes that reflect spiritual beliefs about hope:

 

 

Image result for Islam Quote regarding hope