{"id":5757,"date":"2022-04-29T09:11:32","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T14:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sarahdamm.com\/?p=5757"},"modified":"2022-09-14T09:43:49","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T14:43:49","slug":"sarahdamm-com-ways-activate-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sarahdamm.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/29\/sarahdamm-com-ways-activate-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Activate Hope in Our Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I write this, it\u2019s late April 2022. We just celebrated Easter. But walking out my front door, one would think it\u2019s late February or early March. This spring, temperatures have barely reached 50 degrees (on a good day). We are enduring a prolonged winter\u2014cold, wind, and even snow.<\/p>\n

Here, in the upper Midwest, we naturally have a long winter, so the longing for spring is especially strong. And any additional days of cold can cause discouragement and even depression. It is hard to live in winter when the calendar says it is spring.<\/p>\n

My prayers plead with God, \u201cI just can’t take much more of this, Lord. How much longer? When will we receive relief?\u201d<\/p>\n

Winter Blues in Spring<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Seasonal affective disorder, or the winter blues, is a very real thing. Often, we hear about it\u2014and various ways to beat it<\/a>\u2014in January or February. That is when it affects most people. By the time spring arrives in mid-March, most symptoms fade, we feel happier, and we have more energy.<\/p>\n

But what if the weather does not improve by a certain date on the calendar? And is it possible that a desire for change in the weather, or sunshine after the rain, can point toward a deeper longing within the interior life?<\/p>\n

Winter Within<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While I long for actual warmth and sunshine\u2014for spring to finally arrive\u2014I also realize that I can experience an extended winter deep within my soul.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the correct spiritual phrase to describe this is \u201cdark night of the soul\u201d or desolation.<\/p>\n

We might experience this through various prolonged sufferings:<\/p>\n