November 30, 2021

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."                                                       Romans 15:13

Hope. Christmas. It does go together, doesn’t it?  Hope is defined as... desire accompanied by expectation, to wish expectantly, to trust. Christmas is a very “hope-ful” time of year: that much-sought-after gift under the tree; good weather to travel; family and friends to share in the festivities; hope for a more peaceful, reflective Christmas, where the rush and chaos make way for time to ponder and wonder at the meaning of this wonderful season. 

I remember one Christmas from my childhood when I hoped to receive a specific present from Santa. Christmas morning came ’round and I was so excited! But ahhh, my hopes were dashed! Although I received other wonderful gifts, that particular toy wasn’t there. How was I to deal with such a thing? I remember not saying anything to anyone, because I realized that I had not included that item in my Christmas letter to Santa. I thought the elves would have told Santa because, weren’t they around, making sure I was being good? They would have heard me sigh about that toy as I looked again and again through the Sears catalogue. I tell you, my hope in the elves diminished significantly! What did I learn from that experience? As a child, I learned that I had put my hope in the wrong people (elves) instead of the right person (Santa). 

Many (many!) years have passed since then. Over time, my hope found its way to God, because over and over in my life, God has proven to be trustworthy. God has shown all of us how to trust Him by sending Jesus to show us the way. That little baby, born in a manger, came to give us hope as He points us to God. Through His promises, His life, death, and resurrection, we have been given the knowledge that we never have to walk our life path alone – we have been given hope for changed lives, new beginnings, and company on our journey. 

Wishing you a very “hope-filled” Christmas! 

Prayer: O God, we praise you because You are our hope. Thank you for walking with us as we embrace Hope during our journey through the Advent season. 

Cynthia Worthen is happily a mother to three and grandmother to four. She’ll be very specific in her letter to Santa this year!