Why "hope restored?"

As a medical social worker, I frequent meetings with people who have not taken care of themselves. The technical term for this kind of a person: non-compliant. These kinds of people do not, for example, take their medications, or follow the speical diet required to keep them well. When I talk to these people, I explain to them that they are engaged in self-destructive behavior that can eventually lead to death, if they do not make some changes. What I find in so many instances, is that there are deep-seated wounds that these people bear that had brought them to this place of non-compliance. Many times, their life experiences leave them without hope. One particular patient in this circumstance really touched my heart. As we were talking, I made efforts to extend some hope to him about the value of his life. And, he started to understand. He asked me, before he left the hospital, to be sure not to forget him. I assured him I would not. I had planned for sometime to visit him, but just never made time for it. Friday I was notified that he had passed away. I pray that in the little time left in his life after our meeting, that the hope that I feel was restored to his soul brought him some comfort and quality of life. There is something powerful about hope....my hope is in the Lord. It is a precious gift that motivates and comforts and gives strength. I consider it a part of my calling to extend and restore that hope to others.