I sit here on a quiet Sunday evening. Christmas music quietly dancing down the hallway, and I think. The quiet soothes my soul.
Here on the first week of Advent, God has given us HOPE to reflect on during the darkest season of the year. I don't think it's by accident. I think it's by design -- a week to reflect on the hope that He provides in my life.
It amazes me. The perfect plan.
I enjoy daily moments with God - devotionals trying to prepare my heart and soul for the gift He is about to bestow upon the world. The magnitude of this gift is beyond my comprehension, yet He loves me enough to remind me again. Being human, I need reminding.
To remind me that despite my failings, He loves me.
To remind me that I can't change the fact that He loves me.
To remind me that the most important gifts come through Him.
It's pretty awesome if you ask me. I love how He reaches in to my heart and strips it down to the very basics. It's effective. He is a God of love, grace, and generosity. He forgives. He never promised easy, but He did promise company. He walks with me when times are rough.
This is the time of year when I read again the story Two from Galilee by Marjorie Holmes. This simple piece of historical fiction helped me put advent in perspective. It helps me to walk in the shoes of a 14-year-old girl who the world struggles to believe.
It whispers to my soul - the doubts she faced, the doubts of others, the choice of faith. It opens my eyes to new possibilities. It educates me on the culture of the time in which Jesus was conceived. It allows me to read the scripture with greater awareness and insight. Through her words I can experience the hope that Mary felt when few in the world understood.
How often do we feel that no one understand? That our situation is hopeless? That the world is against us? A little perspective allows us to see that with God nothing is hopeless. The very existence of His son is hope. He does amazing things. Let Him.
It's the season of Advent. The season of hope. It's knowing you're not alone. You are loved.
