An ax called hope...

Because of the world I work in (combatting child slavery and exploitation), I daily find myself buried in some of the darkest stories on the planet. I live in the constant tension of hope and despair. I have to choose hope daily. Easier said than done.

If I have learned anything from working in the field of human rights, it’s that hope is not passive. It is deliberate and active. Rebecca Solnit writes in her book, Hope in the Dark; “Hope is not like a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. Hope is an ax you break down doors with in an emergency; because hope should shove you out the door… Hope calls for action; action is impossible without hope.”

Strangely enough, I have found it more difficult to choose hope daily in this adoption process. I think it’s because whatever action we can take at this point is not so clearly defined. So much seems to be out of our hands, and yet we are not content to just “sit on the sofa” and wait. We continue to write letters, make phone calls, sign petitions, pray, etc. We are constantly looking for a way in.

I used to think that patience is passive as well. It’s not. Anne Lamott describes hope in her book, Bird by Bird as “a revolutionary patience.” Revolution insinuates action. So even my patience has to be active and deliberate.

So, all that to say…our daughter is on the other side of this seemingly impenetrable door. But I’ve got an ax called hope…and I’m not afraid to use it.

-Rob