What You Hope For

As I dragged myself from bed today, full of ache and weariness, I decided to brainstorm a list of all the things I hope for in this day. It included such things as:
- Able to stay out of bed all day instead of my normal collapse-back-in-bed-ill.
- Small hugs wrapped around sweet with shouts of "Mamsie!"
- Enough strength to actually go out on a date with my Best.
- Ability to escort my God's-Treasure-Adiah to school, even part way.
When you have been ill for a month, mostly glued to your bed, this is where your mind wanders: to get out of the same. This is what you hope for: health.
I was spurred to make such a list by these words: "Now faith is being sure of what you hope for..." Hebrews 11:1
Oh, I can make a fine list of what I hope for, can't you?
It's that "being sure" part that I struggle with. God makes it plain that there ARE false objects of hope. "A horse is a false hope for victory; nor does it deliver anyone... Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who--- hope for His lovingkindness." Psalm 33:17-18 NASB
Farther down, verse 20 reads, "We wait in hope for the Lord."
Psalm 42:11 is even blunter: "Put your hope in God."
So that means my nice list of nice-things-I-want-to-happen, is really false hope. Matthew Henry says "Faith and hope go together. The same things that are the object of our hope are the objects of our faith."
God states it clear, hope in Me.
He also states it clear, have faith in Me. "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we can not see it up ahead. " Hebrews 11:1 TLB
What is it that I am to hope for? "My hope is in You all day long..." Psalm 25:5
There is this inexplicable dance between faith and hope. Whatever I choose to put my hope in, is also what I am choosing to put my faith in. When that object is God Himself, then these two partners sway beautifully across the floor, swirling in majesty, filling my heart with peace and joy as I trust in Him.
Honestly, that sounds a lot more appealing than my nice-things-I-want-to-happen list. Though small hugs wrapped sweet, is a close second! Maybe I can count those as part of God's lovingkindness..... :]