Where is Hope?

Editorials and Columns

October 25, 2025

EVERYDAY FAITH

     A few weeks ago, my wife and I set out with our older two grandsons, eight and six, to have a big adventure together. About six months ago, we had decided that we all needed to do a backpacking trip together - their very first one. 

     During the last six months, the boys  practiced by carrying fully loaded backpacks around, so that they could get a sense of what it was going to feel like to carry their own personal supplies.  

     We’ve had multiple conversations about what to pack, where to go, and how long to go.  As the trip got closer, we had a conversation with them about what foods we wanted to have with us.  

     So, by time our weekend had arrived for the trip, everyone was eagerly anticipating getting out into the back country.  We had decided to go up to Lake Superior Provincial Park and hike along Lake Superior’s coast.  It’s a spectacular area with bluffs overlooking the shore and coves that show off just about every kind of rock there is in the Big Lake.  

     But, because of our timing of picking the boys up part way between us and our our daughter, we didn’t have enough time to get all the way up to Ontario.  We figured that if we could get back to St. Ignace and spend the night there, that would be a good place for us to crash for the night.  It would also give us a chance to talk over the trip with the boys.  

     Everything went according to plan, and as we were setting up camp in St. Ignace, my wife was talking with the boys about how to start up conversations with people you don’t know along the trail.  One of the things she suggested for the boys was to simply ask them what they had learned in their life that would be helpful for them as they grow up.  People love to talk about themselves, and this would immediately give them an opportunity to bequeath some wisdom to the next generation.

     As we were packing up the next morning to head up to Canada, the boys and Jen were out on the beach taking in a moment, looking out over the Mackinac Bridge and the beauty of the Straights.  Also, sitting there soaking in the beauty of the morning were two older couples who were lifelong friends.  One of the boys struck up a conversation with them and sure enough, he asked his question about what they had learned in life.

     The couples were surprised by the question but didn’t bat an eye.  One of the guys immediately replied, saying that the most important decision a person could make in their life was to give their life to Jesus.  That opened up a whole conversation with each person sharing that they had accepted Jesus as their Savior and were in total agreement with what had been said.  We had a lovely conversation with this group, and as we left to depart for our trip, one of the gals chimed in, “We’ll see you in heaven.”  The conversation was absolutely delightful and filled with joy.

      It was a good note to end on as we still had hours to travel. We packed things up and headed out for our adventure that awaited us north of the Soo.  We checked into the Ranger Station only to find out that there had been high bear activity in our area, so we needed to be alert.  We talked this through with the boys and headed out on our trail. Instead of seeing bear sign though, we apparently found a great moose trail.  It appeared that with the number of moose tracks along the way, that the moose had decided our backpacking trail was more suitable for them.  After a five mile hike into the wilderness, our trail ended at a cove that was a pure white sandy beach. On the horizon were a series of islands that made for  beautiful sunsets.  It was magical - just what we had hoped to show the boys!

      The next day, we left our tent and supplies and headed out for a day hike, and along the way, we ran into a couple who had been backpacking for over  fifty years together.  A few minutes into talking with them, one of the boys asked the question about what they had learned in life.  

      This elderly couple was taken aback by the question.  The gal struggled to find something of value and shifted the topic several times without really ever giving a solid answer.  The gentleman turned to me with the back of his hand covering his mouth, and said to me, “I can’t answer this question.  I can’t tell a kid that this life won’t be kind to him.  How can I tell them that it’s just going to be hard?”

     He and I stood on the side while the others talked, and I empathized with him that life certainly can be hard, but he just couldn’t shake it.  It was the only thing that he could answer in response to the question, but he knew he couldn’t say that.  As we wrapped up our conversation with the couple, he skirted the question and headed on down the trail in the opposite direction.  

     As we hiked along, I appreciated that the gentleman knew enough to not destroy a kid’s hopes and dreams, but on the other hand, I was saddened that he had nothing to offer by way of words of wisdom for the boys.  The question visibly troubled him, and after 74 years on this planet, he didn’t have one ray of hope to share.

      The question was simply meant to be a conversation starter, but the question ended up being much more impactful than we ever could have imagined.  With one group, it allowed them to share the most meaningful decision they had ever made in their life - living their life focused on the Lord, and they were excited to share the good news that they lived by. 

     The other couple was pensive and not only wrestled with the question, but it revealed that the older gentleman was living his life without hope.

     We often take the Christian life for granted, and the simplest of things we live by are a direct result of how we view the world around us.   Having hope in our daily lives is one of those things, but our hope doesn’t lie within me or the people around me. It lies right within the person of Jesus Christ and what he did to save us from our sins - he alone is our hope. 

      And this hope for the Believer, it not only changes our eternal destiny but also how we live each and every day.   

     “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13