While optimism makes us live as if someday soon things will soon go better for us, hope frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart... Joy in this perspective is the fruit of hope.
- Henri Nouwen
Before I had the privilege of working on staff at Daystar, I, like so many of you, was a parent in search of help for my child. Little did I know how much I would be helped, too, along the way.
My daughter started seeing Sissy in 2002, before the little yellow house even came to be; back then, in an unassuming office building in Green Hills, I watched miracles happen. I watched as my daughter fell in love with Sissy’s first pet therapist, Noel; I watched as my daughter journeyed off to Hopetown for the first time, not knowing how many summers she would eventually spend there, the seeds of lifelong friendships that would be planted there.
Thanks to many prayers and generous supporters over the years, we at Daystar were extremely blessed to move into our little yellow house that so many of you know and love. But, I can’t help but remember that the true magic of Daystar, of what happens in these walls, is possible with one not-so-small but simple thing: hope.
I’ve always told my children that I want nothing more than for them to be happy; as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that we as adults can’t always ensure that for the children in our lives. This does not negate our hope. In fact, it actually reveals our need for hope in a much deeper way.
Today, my daughter, years after college, always makes time on her trips home to see friends from Daystar groups or Hopetown. And I, in my role at Daystar, have the immense privilege of speaking with parents and telling them what I really, really know to be true: this place will spark hope in your child’s life and yours.
Years ago when I needed it most, Daystar provided hope for me and my family. Today, thanks to the generous support of our contributors, we at Daystar are able to provide hope for more families than ever.
Thank you for all you do to keep hope alive here at Daystar.
The Daystar staff
