humility ~ service ~ sacrifice ~ HOPE

Sometime around December 20, I was walking up the hill from our shop/garage to the house. It was pitch dark out. The shop light cast a soft halo around the back door but the farther away I walked, the deeper the darkness became. Although I had my phone in my pocket and could have turned on the flashlight, I didn’t think to get it out.

The house was up ahead. The porch lights were on but they were too far away and the hill was too steep for them to illuminate the path. I was caught in this dark middle. I am a big chicken in the dark and even the relatively short distance between the shop and the house was enough for me to conjure up visions of bears, wolves and things that ate humans who couldn’t run fast enough because their Sorrel boots were too big. I started climbing that hill just as fast as I could.

And then I stepped in something. It was squishy and stinky, it gooped up the grips on the bottom of my right boot and was oozing out the sides. Fresh, not frozen dog doodoo; a gift from my puppies. I had to wait until I reached the top of the hill to confirm the size of my problem and because of the porch lights, was then able to clean my boot in the snow with the help of a large stick so I wouldn’t track the mess into the house.

advent

I tell you that story because I know 2024 kind of felt like a big pile of stinky, smelly circumstances that wedged themselves into every nook and cranny of life for some of us.  The dark middle was real and overwhelming. Sometimes the light felt far away, and fear threatened to overtake common sense and sound truth.

I realize that technically the Advent season is long gone but I felt it was important to direct our thoughts back to the birth of Christ one more time so we can add context to the events of last year. Let’s pull our thoughts away from the turmoil of what was, to the joy of what is to come. The advent of hope.

hope

How desperately we need hope. Without it life feels impossible, joy slips through our fingers like water through a broken cup, our days go by in a haze of purposeless rote. Isn’t it interesting that God created us with an innate desire for meaning and fulfillment? We don’t live life in a vacuum, rather, what we say and do has eternal impact and therefore also has infinite meaning. If we lack hope, it is palpable to those around us. If we’re filled with hope, it helps us endure and also encourages those around us that the storm they are facing is for a season and the Lord will remain faithful to the end.

Jesus wants us to search for him because he is the author of hope, he created it. He is the master storyteller who assures us that the end of the story works out for our good and for his glory. Remember that the next time your life feels sticky and smelly.

Maybe one reason Jesus came as a babe was to show us the power of small things. Infant beginnings, small dreams and tiny smiles. Maybe the birth of hope isn’t going to arrive in 2025 with a loud bang, maybe it’ll show up as the tiniest glimmer of joy, a renewed desire to get off the couch to serve others, create more beauty or peace, meditate for a few minutes each day on his word.

Jesus promises that when we search for him we will find him. And when we find him he will use all of the hopeless, sticky, smelly parts of our earthly story as fertilizer to improve the soil of our lives. A beautiful garden will emerge, one that honors the value in the fertilizer as being the catalyst to prolific growth and unapparelled abundance. The fragrance of Christ will emerge and will draw others from far and wide.

eternity

Maybe you were looking for hope last year in things that did not have the capacity to meet your needs. People. Things. Yourself. A change of circumstances. Maybe you were pouring your heart into everything but Jesus.

lean on him

There was and still is a reason for your suffering. I know you never wanted to be the poster child for strength. You never wanted that pain, that weight, that crushing loneliness. But there is infinite value in a life lived in surrender to Christ, hope carried you through your darkest moments even when you couldn’t feel it. I know your faith increased and your testimony encouraged others.

Our life on earth will to continue to be full of trouble, that’s a promise. From a merely human standpoint that could fill us with dread except that if you have placed your trust and hope in the Lord he will turn the ugly, smelly sting of those hardships into unspeakable joy. And when this life is over the ravages of sin will fade away. We will be fully present, fully whole, the unseen will be visible and we will be in the presence of our Savior for all eternity. That’s hope.

Next time I’ll share my vision verse for 2025 and explain why it’s the hardest one I’ve ever chosen. In the meantime, keep searching for Jesus and I will be praying that your hearts are full of the hope that only he can give.

Hey, why don’t you choose your own vision verse for 2025? I’d love to hear what you’ve chosen and so be ready to leave a comment on the next post with the reference if you’d like to share.

Blessings, I’m praying for each one of you!