So you’ve just walked through the Door of Hope.  Congratulations, you’ve just made one of the best decisions of your life.  Now what?  Will life automatically be better, will all your problems be solved?  Well, no, but yes!  Let me explain!  While life circumstances may be the same, at least for the time being, a dramatic metamorphosis has begun. You are being transformed from a Wasteland Pessimist to a Garden Optimist!

Both instantly and progressively you’ll be gaining a new perspective on life; one that relies on a loving God and embraces the new found hope that expects good to come your way no matter what is happening in the world or in your life. Specifically, you will notice that your spiritual senses will be more attuned to how God perceives reality.  For example, your soul’s eye will begin to see situations and circumstances through the full spectrum of Garden color possibilities and not just the constrained Wasteland grays with which we are so familiar. Our soul’s ear and tongue will also change as we are transformed to hear and speak the language of the divine. This is something I have personally noticed when sharing the reality of the Garden with others. During these conversations, I’ll often hear statements like, “I sure hope you’re right,” “It would be nice if that were true,” or best of all, “I hope so.”  Let’s face it, what we’re really saying when we utter these words is that we doubt God can really do it and even if He can we doubt he cares enough to do so! The problem with that kind of Wasteland thinking is that it flies in the face of Garden truth which says that God does care and God is capable!  Conversely, those with Garden optimism see, hear and speak the following, “I can’t see how God can do it, but I believe He will,” “Things sure look bleak. I can’t believe all these trials are happening to me right now, God must love me,” “If God allowed me to experience such heartache, He must have something that much more amazing in store!” That’s what I’m talking about; Garden Talk! Which comes from Garden Optimism – a true heartfelt hope that ‘ALL’ things work for the good of those who love God and believe He is for, and not against, them.

In retrospect, it’s quite clear why so many lost hope in 2020. We’ve all experienced a very trying time in which every part of our society and lives have unraveled, and in some cases, fallen over the cliff.  In the face of such adversity even the most steadfast of hearts have been shaken, which is why Garden Optimism is so important. It empowers us to persevere in our journey through life, especially through the trying times.  Even when we think we can’t take another step, Garden Optimism fills us with real hope and the certainty that God will pull us through without fail, and ultimately bring us safely home.

So if you have made the decision to walk through the door of hope, prepare for the metamorphosis that you will begin to experience and persevere through any obstacles you’ll encounter.  It will take courage and a resolve, but remember, you are a changed person full of God’s love and real hope.  You’re no longer a caterpillar (Wasteland Pessimist) crawling along the ground scared of being stepped on and squashed by life. You’re a butterfly (Garden Optimist) flying above life’s circumstances with hope filled vision enjoying life among the flowers.

Dario L. Perla