Hope

There is a unique privalege I get to have every now and then: a house full of young people. 

To be fair, I generally call them "the kids" - but they aren't just kids anymore. They are newlyweds. They are soon to be married couples. They are nearing college graduations. They are advancing in new careers. They come from multiple states and they've met each other for different reasons and in different places. Some of them know each other well, and some met for the first time tonight - you can't really tell which ones

They are preachers, Bible class teachers, and just straight up good people, no matter how you look at it. 

So, when we get the chance, we cook them dinner and set up tables for them to play card games at. In return, we get to listen to their laughter, share in their joy, watch them love on our kids, and watch them enjoy each other. We get to hear, and take a smalk part in, their conversations - the silly ones and the serious ones. 

We get to hear their take on global situations, politics, the Bible, and which movies to watch. We see them tease each other, encourage each other, and be real with each other. 

And every single time, at the end of the night, I think - despite everything we sometimes see - there is SO much hope for our world. 

I don't know *that* many people. But I'm confident that if there are a few more out there like this crew hanging out in my basement? Then God's people are alive and well, and the future is bright and strong. 

I know this stage of them needing a place to gather with their friends won't last long - they are already going a million directions. So, we enjoy the glimpses into their world that we catch, and are so thankful that for these brief moments of these precious years of their lives, we get to be a small part of their worlds, and even more thankful they are willing to be such a bright spot in our lives, and those of our girls.  

Maybe hope is as simple as a basement full of awesome young adults, ready to take on the world.