Hope is often referred to as one of the most powerful words in the English language.  And rightly so.  For, in hope lies the secret of all happiness. 

When hope is lost, all is lost. On the contrary when hope is kept alive, there is everything to gain. From holocaust survivors to prisoners-of-war and from victims of natural calamities to those abused by man-made brutalities, hope was the only one commanding force that gave these sufferers the will to endure the hardships and swing back to life.
A story that appeared in ‘Bits and Pieces,’ a motivational publication, speaks about the influence hope plays in redeeming any situation. 

The school system in a large city had a programme to help children keep up with their school work during stays in  hospital. One day a teacher who was assigned to the programme received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”

The hospital programme teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologise. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t understand, we’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.”

Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”

As long as man can keep the fire of hope burning in his spirit, the warmth of optimism will fill his life.  It will enable him to face life’s many setbacks and eventually lead him along the path of deliverance.