“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

Image
The loss of your friendship is no small thing My heart remembers you and still I love you In me there is a vacancy - the perfect shape of you      I have built a bridge to you Love is a risk – to give and receive Love makes you vulnerable to be hurt We opened our hearts to one another Shared life – joy and pain alike Now the absence of you is painful to bear When hurt and questions get loud inside my mind I return on my knees to the bridge I remember the times we laughed and cried together I rehearse the journey we shared – how you walked with me and I with you We shared strength and faith Walked together in joy and sorrow I remember what I know to be true of you I choose to let this truth rise up above the pain of losing you Questions and things I don’t understand The details that caused this separation I refuse to build a wall of my pain and my confusion      Instead - I build my bridge There is strength in all that we have shared I remember it until I feel it I pray for you and bles
Read more

Purpose & Resolve

Image
  I have always been a writer. I enjoy writing. I have journaled, written poetry, speeches, essays, reflections and narratives. I have always loved to write. As a young girl one of my dreams was to write children’ books. In college I wrote poems regularly as a way of processing the conflicting emotions and changes in my life. I wrote my book over the course of more than 7 years and for the first few years I wouldn’t have said I was writing a book.  I was just writing. I have always written; it just flows naturally. Even when I wasn’t trying to write on a regular basis, I would write and tuck poems, reflections and stories away in journals and notebooks. It was during the time that I was working on my book that I began to understand the transformation that was taking place inside myself. I was realizing that I had a message to share through my writing and that writing was more than something I could do , it was a part of who I AM . It is one of my purposes,   part of the fabric of who
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 life, and life to the fullest
Read more