I'm a week behind as today begins the second week of advent. I had meant to write all week, but time got away from me. So, let's pretend this is the beginning of the first week of advent for a few minutes.
Hope... a year ago none of us knew the craziness that this year has brought us. This year we have had to cling to hope like never before in our lifetime. Someday, we won't have to wear masks, we will be able to hug people, we won't have to consider the risks of going to the store to get necessities, and we will once again live in a world of toilet paper for all. I have been clinging to this hope since March. There were times I was better at it than others.
A year ago, I was days away from saying goodbye to my dad... an unbearable thought then and now. But, a year later, I have felt God's comforting presence that has brought me hope. Throughout this year, changes in my life have surprised me. Most recently, becoming a chaplain at the hospital was not something I had thought much about. But, God has given me a gift to hopefully be a comfort to people who need it. One of the reasons I have the confidence to do this is through the experiences with my own grief.
How amazing is our God that He can take anything that comes in our lives and use it for His good! Seeing that over and over in my life and in the lives of others is probably what has instilled hope in me more than anything else. Even in a year when we have all struggled in one way or another due to the pandemic, there are wonderful things happening that would not have happened otherwise- families staying home together, churches reaching out into the community more, people realizing what is important in their lives and what isn't, and so much more.
But, in this time of advent, I have to think of the hope that a little baby brought us all. We who are not perfect people became perfect when He took our sins away. Because of this, I know that I get to go to heaven. I have hope in that.. I have hope that I will see my loved ones when I get there. I don't know if that's what heaven is like, but I'm hoping! I'm also hoping that my loved ones are still here watching over me, seeing what I'm doing. That's one of the hardest things to adjust to after my dad passed. I don't get to tell him what I'm doing and I don't get to hear what he's doing.
So, where was God today? He's planning how to use everything we do to make things better and to bring people together for Him. And, if we have hope, our eyes will be open to see it.
Blessings,
Jennifer
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