Hope

 

‘A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…..’

I know a lot of you share this sentiment for the year of 2022…..I’m weary.  If there’s a word I would choose to represent this year, it is just that.  My humanity threatens at every turn of this road called life to call it done, give up, throw in the towel, wave the white flag.  I.can’t.even.

I can’t really pinpoint one thing, it’s a cascade of “things” that this life has thrown in our path.  At the end of the laundry list of “things” I could list for you here, I can point to one “thing” that has held me steady somehow. 

Jesus.  He is Jehovah Jireh, forever enough, always enough, more than enough.  I am going to continue to age, ache, stumble through everything this life hands me, but He is steady and unchanging.  When it seems He is far from my reach, it’s hard to swallow the reality, the truth of the matter:  I am the one who has wandered.   His presence, His peace, His strength, He is with me always and forever.  I am a child of God, I am His, and nothing changes that.

When I can’t cope with the pathway my Mom is on with this horrible disease called Alzheimer’s/Dementia… He is my help and hope.

When I can’t cope with the pathway my daughter is on with her disappointing, incredibly stressful, heartbreaking experience in what she thought was her dream career…. He is my help and hope.

When I can’t cope with the pathway my husband is on with a shiny new college degree in his hands and the pursuit of a new career and what has been a snail pace, mind numbing, incredibly frustrating process…. He is my help and hope.

When I can’t cope with the pathway of the sudden loss of a loved one…. He is my help and hope.

When I can’t cope with the pathway of a terminal diagnosis for a dear friend…. He is my help and hope.

My husband Ryan shared with our family in our Advent focus a couple weeks ago, the focus of Hope, that it is not what we often say so flippantly, “I hope this works out…”. 

It is the focus of Jesus Hope.  It is the focus of this blessed baby born to us one night in Bethlehem.

So, when you are hanging on by a thread, and when all that you thought you had figured out and could count on as “good” in this life seems gone…..I can tell you my friend, all is not lost.

‘A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…’

He is here, He is near, He is for you, and He will steady you for whatever life brings your way.

Christ is born, and we have Hope eternal!  Do not despair, He is with us.  I am praying the Light of the world brings an abundance of hope into your life today.