My Friend Hope

I have a friend whose name is HOPE, who years ago lost his way. Not only had he disappeared physically, but he was also going astray. After much searching and investigation, I located him just today. When we were finally able to get together, I gave him my say. I told him of my distress over his disappearance and my dismay. I said, "HOPE, I sought desperately to find your whereabouts, but no one knew. One of your dear friends said he last saw you sitting in the church pew. Everyone I spoke with indicated that you just up and suddenly disappeared. All agreed that it seemed like you ran away from something you feared. Now that I have found you, can we please talk about what is on your mind? I understand that things and people change, and so do seasons and times, But nothing is too sad nor too bad for us to sort out and find a resolution. But we should not seek seclusion, avoid reclusion, which leads to confusion". I hesitated when my friend Hope said to me, "I have changed my name to Hopeless". Immediately, I realized that finding Hope was one thing, but meeting Hopeless was another. I was not looking for a friend named Hopeless. The abbreviated story just read is fiction, but it is not fiction that a few years ago I met a real young man who had come to the USA seeking an education. He had run out of funds from family as well as aid from the government, and his time in America was running out. He had done all he knew to do, seeking help from various sources. By the time he met my wife and me, he was a broken and hopeless young man. We counseled and prayed with the young man from Kenya, and later on, he was somehow connected with another family in our church who assisted him in his plight. In his own words, the thing that meant most to him were words that my wife spoke to him that gave birth to HOPE in his heart and spirit. That was some ten or more years ago. Presently, Telema has earned his master's degree and is successfully employed by the State of California. He has also been able to assist other members of his family in coming to America and getting an education. Again, in his own words, the key to his turnaround was 'words that gave him HOPE'. 071220PS