Sometimes hope is not big and loud and powerful. Sometimes it is just a whisper in the darkness. Still, whispered hope is enough. It speaks peace to our hearts. It caresses our spirits. It’s presence should cause us to celebrate. No matter what we’re facing, we can celebrate.

I celebrate hope in the laughter of my grandchildren. I celebrate hope in my warm relationship with my husband. I celebrate hope when I receive the gift of another day of life, always mindful that my serious illness could have ended my life. I celebrate the hope I find in Scripture and in hymns.

Whispered hope is most certainly something to celebrate.

Don’t forget that in the midst of all your pain and heartache, you are surrounded by beauty, the wonder of creation, art, music and culture, the sounds of laughter and love, of whispered hopes and celebrations, of new life and transformation, of reconciliation and forgiveness.

—William Paul Young