Hope is a plan

Today is the first Sunday of Advent which is a season of reflection and preparation for Christmas in many churches. The four weeks each have a theme leading up to the birth of Jesus: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Now, some of you may choose to stop reading here for a myriad of reasons: church is not your cup of tea, you're not a Christian, you're agnostic or atheist, you need to transfer your laundry. Whatever. I would just encourage you to come along for the ride anyway. I think all of us could use a little hope, peace, joy and love right now, don't you? Grab a beverage and let's create a space to ponder.

Let's begin with hope. To summarize very quickly with apologies to all the authors of the Bible, the world was pretty much a mess. Having their own kings didn't work out well (shout out to Samuel for trying to warn them) and the people couldn't get the hang of listening to God and doing what He said. #same "Long lay the world in sin and error pining" Yes, they were in O Holy Night-ville. Those who clung to the teachings of their youth remembered the promise of a Savior. Their only anchor was hope and that promise.

Although we appear to have made significant progress, our world remains a mess in various ways. I won't list all the issues here. Just watch a newscast or browse social media. The emphasis seems to be on expressing every aspect of one's beliefs, instead of demonstrating love and being Christ-like. Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. There truly are no exceptions.

When I witness individuals spreading hatred in Jesus' or anyone's name for that matter and pointing fingers at the left, the right, and everyone in between; when scripture is used as a weapon and slander is rampant, or when it seems like evil is prevailing, I take a deep breath. I offer a prayer and hold onto hope for dear life. I hope for God's intervention sooner rather than later. I remind myself of His promises and then seek out the many ways God is present in the world, not just in my own life but collectively.

Some might say that hope isn't a strategy. You need to implement actionable steps. For instance, you can't indulge in everything you desire and still lose weight. It's important to understand your body's metabolism, how it responds to various foods, and what you need to eat to stay healthy. You'll likely need to incorporate some form of exercise as well. ( Welcome to my post menopausal world.) Nonetheless, despite implementing all these actionable steps, hope remains an important part of the journey. You undertake these actions with the hope of achieving success and improving your health.

We can only manage a limited amount of our situations before we start hoping for the best, wishing someone makes the right choice, or praying for the Bills to win a Super Bowl (please, Sweet Jesus). For some, hope stops at that point. You hope, and then wait to see what unfolds. Just think about this while we're enjoying our beverage and pondering: God could serve as a source of hope in your life, regardless of the circumstances or the results.

Those writers I mentioned before wrote about hope all the time:

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Psalm 62-5:6 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Those are just a few of many powerful verses. When your hope is bigger and beyond yourself, you have a different perspective. Heavens to Betsy, you will still have challenges. Unfortunately, even though what we plan looks good on paper, our lives don't always follow accordingly. Hope builds a bridge and allows us to take in a broader picture.

As we ponder Christmas, (I really hope you're still with me, dear reader) I pray that whatever you believe, you will believe in the power of hope. For onto us, hope was born on Christmas Day.

Coffee talk: What are you hoping for?