Hope Rising 365 is a new yearlong devotional book for girls and young women offering advice and inspiration for each day. Author Meg Cannon, a spoken word artist and presenter, enlists female voices in the fields of youth and student ministries to share their experiences and wisdom as well as contributing her own. Christian Today spoke with Meg to find out more about the inspiration behind the book and what being rooted in hope looks like.
Why did you decide on the title Hope Rising 365?
I work in secondary schools every week with girls and young women doing workshops and assemblies, and I see a distinct lack of hope. The reason for the title of the book is that I want to see hope rise in the lives of girls and young women around the UK and further afield. It's great to hear that the book has also been translated into German and Dutch too. It has felt like such an amazing opportunity to share the hope that God offers with a generation who need encouragement and to understand how much they are loved.
The book talks a lot about well-being. What does well-being look like for you as a Christian?
The Children's Society recently released its Good Childhood report, and year on year they are finding that UK children's well-being is in decline. When we compare it to other countries in Europe, the UK has the lowest average overall life satisfaction among 15 year olds, which is really sad.
Well-being, essentially, is how people feel and how they function on a personal and social level - how they feel about their lives as a whole. I would say evaluating our lives from a Christian perspective is looking at how God defines us and who God says we are. Often young people are evaluating their lives in light of social media. I think wellbeing from a Christian perspective is knowing that we are known and loved by God, and that we do not have to be afraid. He has given us a spirit of love, power and sound mind.
The book is full of great life advice for young people. What is the best piece of life advice you've been given?
On my first day in year 7, my mum told me to look out for the person who looks alone and go and speak to that person. I carry that with me wherever I go, even though it can be daunting talking to people you don't know. I try to look out for the person who is alone and I think Jesus would also do that. We explore friendship and kindness in our assemblies and workshops because broken friendships are time and time again a really painful reality for many girls.
The book emphasises each girl's uniqueness. What work needs to be done to encourage women and young girls to stop aspiring to reach a beauty standard that is unattainable?
I think it starts at a grassroots level, one-on-one mother and daughter or a youth worker with a girl or in a group setting. I think there is so much power in giving girls space to talk and share what is going on in youth culture and to open up. I recently did a workshop on self-esteem in a secondary school and one girl in particular was incredibly emotional about the way she sees herself. She recognised that she was comparing herself to what she sees online and she doesn't feel good enough.
It's heart-breaking but it's so important to facilitate conversations and then help girls to challenge negative thought patterns as well as unpicking some of society's pressures and beauty standards. If I can help girls and young women to grasp their worth and potential then I'm happy at the end of the day. I also think we need to pray for them daily because it is tough. The more I learn about what girls and young women are facing, the more I feel the need to pray for them and stand alongside them.
I would love every girl to have Hope Rising 365 on their bedside table. I wrote the book that I really needed when I was a teenager, and I think the book would have made a big difference to me.
There is a segment called 'Turning worry into prayer' in which you speak about your own experience of turning your worry list into your prayer list. Do you still continue to practice this? If so, what impact has it had?
I can be quite a worrier, I get pretty anxious about things. When I feel myself getting overwhelmed by work and motherhood I realise now that I have to write it down because it gets too much in my head. It just overwhelms me, so now when I get to the state of feeling like I'm struggling, I will write the things that are on my mind and then pray through the list and give it to God. It's been a great practice for me because all those things are no longer rushing around my head but down in front of me where I can see them, that's when I can say 'God it's more than I feel like I can cope with, I give all these things over to you'.
What advice would you give to young girls who want to start their journey in the faith?
I would say three things. Firstly, get a Bible and start with the Gospels - learning about Jesus and his life so that we can be more like him is a great place to start. Secondly, try prayer. It can be as simple as 'God I'm here, what do you want to say to me today?' or 'God I'm struggling, would you meet with me?'. I'd also really encourage a new Christian to find a church, because being in community with people who are like-minded is important.
What reception has the book had since it's been released?
It's so lovely to regularly be contacted by people who have found the book helpful and inspiring. In fact, I heard a story recently about a girl who was hospitalised for an eating disorder. She spent quite a while in the priory and when she left home they said she could take very little with her. Someone gave her a copy of Hope Rising 365 and she contacted me to say how helpful it was during her time there and how much it encouraged her. For me, that makes it all worth it.
Scripture runs through the book. How has it been received among non- believers?
I gave a book to my neighbour and I don't think she has any faith background, but she wrote a card to say how she reads it every day and it gives her hope which is great. Wherever I go I have a couple of copies with me and I give them to the schools that I work in. I heard from a teacher recently who saw one of the students had taken it out of the library and was reading it. That's really exciting to me! I hope this is making a difference and is helping people who have no faith background to know that they are created and loved and there is hope for the future in a society that often feels hopeless. I am so enthusiastic about the impact that knowing and following Jesus can have on your life. I have been in a valley over the past few years due to trauma, but what I cling onto is the hope that Jesus brings. Nothing else can satisfy and I really believe that.
Hope Rising 365 is out now from SPCK priced £14.99.
