Advent: Hope
A blessing for the first Sunday of Advent
May Christ’s hope be in you…
…like the anticipation of going someplace wonderful…
…like remembering that today you’ll meet someone you’ve greatly missed…
…like the delightful thrill you get while watching a play that you’ve seen before, and you know what happens next, but your friend sitting beside you doesn’t. They’re afraid the villain is going to win. But you know it’s just a ruse. In the end, the good guy will win spectacularly. And when the curtain falls, the audience is sure to give a standing ovation.
May Christ’s hope be in you like that.
May your hope not put you to shame but endure through that dark cloud of depression that sometimes descends upon you, that dark cloud that says, “Life is so disappointing. It’s not at all to your liking, not really what you wanted. You’ll never get what you really want from God.”
May your hope face that dark cloud and say, “You are a lie! And your darkness will not triumph here. God gives all that I need, and he is transforming all my wants to want him.”
Finally, may your hope not be merely conjured-up feelings, self-generated or self-maintained. But may it be like this candle, which you did not light and which you will not keep burning. May God himself light your hope and maintain it as you surrender all your false hopes to Him.
This is the perfect way for me to start this first Sunday of Advent. "This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls" has been echoing in my head all week. Thank you
Thanks Abby!