“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices” - My favorite lyric of all Christmas songs.  Hope – a whisper, distant and quiet. A delicate thread with an imperceptible pull. 

This is not the end

The best is yet to come

I’m going to be ok

It IS working… Don’t give up!

I’m stronger than I think

Nothing is impossible with God

These truths seem small at first, but as I give them my attention, my full gaze, and hold on - The pull intensifies - I am moved from weariness into greater life.

It’s not too late

You are making a difference

Look at how far you’ve come

Never give up

There is an uprising of hope.  Possibility – Potential

Maybe there is more

Perhaps it is better than I can see right now

And that thread of hope becomes a life line.  It moves me from weariness, discouragement and sorrow into hope, gratitude and wonder.

A thrill of hope, my weary soul rejoices.

I give thanks.  I celebrate. And then I choose to continue even while weariness still clings to me and not all things are perfect or settled.  But I am moving towards hope, a better future.  I am well on my way.  The desert is not my home.  I will not remain in the barren wasteland.  I am moving – in that I rejoice.


O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees,
Oh, hear the angel voices
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born
O night divine,
O night, O night divine.

A moment in time, planned before the creation of the world, when everything shifted!  Hope released – a Savior – Making it possible for you and me to find respite from all things weary and overwhelming.  The power and goodness of God overwhelms whatever overwhelms us, making redemption possible.  Hope was released; the canvas of life and all that is possible, was forever changed. 

“Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Made possible by the release of hope – in baby form – on one holy night.  Eternity was changed; my eternity!  Yours!

Do you feel the thrill of hope?  Does it pull you into greater life?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Invitation

Image
  Peace stood quietly Called to me by name An invitation Just outside the border of my chaos Mind in over-drive My effort to solve, understand and achieve           It was not an evaluation           There was no accusation           His arms were out           Palms up           An invitation Peace called to me And I could answer and go Or I could stay           Peace would not enter my swirling chaos           There was no place for him to stand           To be with Peace, I had to leave           Step out of my mess of striving           To choose Peace stood quietly And called to me by name Invitation Peace invited me to stand At the border of my mind        ...
Read more

Faith that Protects You

Image
  I’ve been thinking of faith and our response to doubt and fear. We all have questions that we cannot answer and doubts that threaten to erode the confidence of our faith. Fear too is common. Sometimes our fears are big and limit our ability to function, other times fear is quiet and we attempt to cover it with action and bold declarations. What is a faith-filled response to these enemies of faith? Ephesians 6 talks about the armor of God and the fiery arrows of the enemy. Faith is the shield we hold up that, according to Paul, extinguishes all the  flaming arrows of the evil one.   (Ephesians 6:16)   I’ve been pondering how exactly that works. If faith is a shield, it stands between you and the enemy’s attack. The arrows shot by the enemy are intended to hit us! Jesus said in John 10:10 that the enemy comes to rob, kill and destroy . Our enemy, satan, intends to kill or at least injure us! But the second half of that verse is that Jesus came to give l...
Read more

Love Already Won

Image
I believe that this is what true love is: a determined choice to grow with someone, to decide in advance that you will forgive and persevere. Love is willing to grow, change and become TOGETHER, to give yourself fully and receive someone as a precious gift.   Love decides in advance to remain close amid adversity, to hold on and believe that victory is coming.  I wrote this for my husband, it is personal...and yet it is general too. These are the words I hear love speaking whether to a spouse, child, parent or friend.  THIS is the love I pray each person experiences.  I have already decided I’ve made up my mind I love you I want you I will be by your side We will change and grow But this truth will never change: I trust you I celebrate you I am proud to stand by your side You have made mistakes; so have I We have been angry, made bad choices and worked through the messes we’ve caused We have forgiven We have comforted and loved We hav...
Read more