Christmas Hope
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices…
This single line from a popular Christmas carol has always stuck with me long past the Christmas season.
Weary. I’m not sure there’s a better word for the state of my soul this season. When I look around, I discover the feeling is mutual. We are all weary. We’re weary of politics, family struggles, work, relationships, the daily grind. The sentiment seems to linger for each of us, and unfortunately, the hustle and bustle of the holidays can serve as one more exhausting item on our lists. It’s easy to miss the joy and the beauty of the season amid the stress and headache of overscheduled days.
I’ve always had a thing for Christmas. Of course, there is the traffic, the shopping, and the overbooked calendars. But there’s also a part of me that slows down to take it in, the part that longs for the magic of it. I can’t help but relish the cheesy traditions and family gatherings, the overplayed Christmas songs, and the extravagant decor. I think perhaps the attraction is because it’s all so fleeting. For me, the magic comes with every song lyric, every manger scene, every Scripture, Christmas card, or skit that reminds me of that tiny, helpless baby who came to help us all. A part of me craves a reminder of our hope. I need reassurance that the hope of the world born so many years ago is still in the business of redeeming and restoring hearts today.
Our hearts were made to long for this. The book of Romans says, “Creation waits in eager expectation” (v. 8:19 NIV). We were designed to wait eagerly for a savior. We see the evidence of this longing in every girl waiting for her Prince Charming, in the eyes of every addict who has tried to fill the longing with a thing, in the tender voice of every prayer that begs for a rescue.
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The assurance of the lyric, and ultimately of the gospel, is that hope is coming. No matter how long the winter season, hope will arrive. And sometimes—in fact, most times—when Jesus has anything to do with it, it will come in the most unlikely of forms, like a Savior born in a humble stable.
The beauty of our God is that he comes. He always comes. He comes in the most humble and beautiful ways, and he shows up amid our weariness as the rescue we have so desperately longed for.
I don’t know what kind of rescue you’re longing for. I’m not even sure what might have you feeling weary. But I do know God is good, and he’s faithful. And as surely as the air will chill, the reminders of his faithfulness will show up in this season’s story. Take a chance, slow down, and notice them.
Hannah Card is a wonderer and a wanderer. She is a southern-speakin’, Jesus-lovin’ coffee consumer who writes about life, whether pretty or messy (usually leaning toward messy). She is the daughter of two amazing, brave, church planting Jesus followers, the sister of an amazing worship pastor, and a lover of Jesus. She blogs at thissweetlybrokenlife.com.
Photograph © Bethany Beams, used with permission
