All because...

Most of the world would have greatly underestimated her abilities.

To many people she would just be looked at as the little girl who lived next door.

“She’s too young to really do anything significant…"

"Give her a few years and maybe then she’ll make an impact.”


Oh, how wrong we can be.


Her name alone should have clued us in…. ‘HOPE’.

She would, in fact, be just that….Hope.

Just a few years ago, Hope was just another little girl.

A girl with beautiful sunset red hair and a personality that could light up a room.

A cheerleader, a sister, a daughter.

But then one day Hope found out that she had an illness… An illness that, despite all medical advances, was unbeatable.

Hope’s days were numbered.

I wonder what many of us would have done in the same situation.

I wonder if I would crawl under the covers and drown myself in a sea of self-pity….

I wonder.

But Hope didn’t do that.

Hope found her purpose.

When asked by the Make-A-Wish Foundation what one wish she wanted before she died, Hope took the world by surprise.

She didn’t want to swim with dolphins.

She didn’t want to see Disney World.

She didn’t want anything for herself.

What did she want?

She wanted others’ dreams to come true.

Hope Stout made a wish that the other 155 kids whose names were on the Make-A-Wish waiting-list would have their wishes granted.

A wish that had a price tag of over 1 million dollars.

But Hope would not be deferred.

Such self-sacrifice is not often seen in our world.

So often we are too busy thinking about our lives to take the time to look at those around us.

Hope was not too busy to look around.

In her last days Hope Stout changed countless lives.

She changed the lives of the children whose wishes were granted.

She changed the lives of the families who gave up Christmas presents to donate to this cause.

She changed the lives of each one of us that knew her.

And I am not even one of those.

I never had the opportunity to meet Hope, but I personally will never forget the selfless act that she gave to our community when she raised over a million dollars for others.

Hope has changed my life and she continues to change lives years after her earthly death.

And again I say;

Most of the world would have greatly underestimated her abilities.

To many people she would just be looked at as the little girl who lived next door.

But HOPE would not be deferred.

What HOPE can you give today?

If a 12 year old girl can change the world in just a few weeks…what can God do through you?


Sidenote: We never got to know Hope personally, but Hope’s parents have been a blessed addition to our familiy over the last few months. If you look at the pictures in the slideshow from yesterday, it is Hope’s Mom and Dad that you will see with Ayden and Brekyn.

In honor of Hope, her parents have started the MARCH FORTH WITH HOPE FOUNDATION

'March Forth With Hope' donates money to families who are experiencing terminal illnesses. Please click here to learn how you can become involved in this ministry.

Hope’s story has already been published (it is the book you’ve seen in my sidebar for months now).

Currently a movie is also being filmed of this incredible story. It is set to be released in December of 2009.

All because Hope would not be deferred.