I was thinking today how it's really important to never give up on a person. But then I was thinking, "Well, what if you know that the person will never change? Should you just not waste your time?"
But then the thought came to me: Hope is an essential part of charity. Even if we "know" someone will "never" change, we should always have a hope that they will. It's never a waste of time.
I thought about a couple of relationships in my life that have heavily relied on my having hope in the person. And I thought, "You know, thought, you're right. Because even though those people have really not completely changed in the ways that I think would make them happy, it has made me a better person to learn to serve with 'no thought of reward' (the reward here being a change in behavior)."
That's what charity is, essentially. Serving with no thought of reward.
Our Heavenly Father always always loves us. No matter what we do. And it has been my experience that He always has hope for us, too. That's why He forgives us. Time and time and time again for the exact. same. things.
I also thought about a couple of relationships where I have had true hope that the situation would become better, and then it did. How rewarding it is to see people I love do complete 180 degree turn-arounds. I count those experiences among the best of my short life so far.
My lovely husband BK is amazing at having hope for people. I have never heard him say a mean thing about anyone. And wouldn't you know, everyone likes him. And he truly likes almost every person he's ever met. It's just part of his personality.
I hope someday that it's part of mine.
