I have always been fascinated with foreign languages, most likely because I love words and being able to communicate with everyone I meet. Several years ago, while on a mission trip in Costa Rica, I met a woman named Esperanza. She lived with her children in a tin shack with on again/off again electricity and rudimentary furnishings. I had been invited to have lunch with her which she graciously prepared and together we ate a simple, delicious, meal. Through a translator, I asked Esperanza about her life, her dreams, what she hoped for. It was during that conversation that I had a huge “aha” moment.  When you and I say “we hope”, it most often has the sense of a wish or desire of what we want to happen. Like, “I hope the Tigers win.”  But for this young woman, hope meant a deep-seated trust, an expectation, that what she was longing for; security, a better life for her family, a job, would all happen. And her trust was placed firmly on God who was going to bring about the best possible result for her life. So, when we say our “hope is in Christ”, what do we mean? Is it wishful thinking of something we want, that God will take care of us, or is it a radical trust that God’s promises are true and are already coming to pass?  Does hope equal trust, or does it equate with a possible chance kind of situation? Oh, I almost forgot to mention, you might already know; the Spanish word for hope: Esperanza. God is so good! Blessed Easter season to you. May you thrive in the HOPE that comes from knowing the cross is bare and the tomb is empty. He is Risen!