Hopeful or Hopeless

Finally, I have time to sit and write.

These two words, hopeful and hopeless, sum up many of my thoughts over the last week. As we enter the Christmas season, life turns double flips throughout our days. Is there hope for a calm, peaceful, meaningful Christmas? Is it hopeless to expect my house to be neat and orderly in the midst of craziness? Is our economy in a hopeless state of disrepair?

I watched hope lived out this week at my Nana's funeral. She loved Jesus. She no longer lives here on this earth, but because she placed her hope in her Savior, she now lives in heaven with Him. I walked into the church and felt hope in the midst of sadness. Life doesn't have to be hopeless. Nana lived 92 years and weathered both good and bad times. I am sure there were moments of hopelessness due to jobs, economy, and war; but her life wasn't lived that way. What a joy to know that same Savior and know that each day has purpose. My Jesus walks every moment with me as He did with Nana. There is nothing that can come into my life that God has not ordained with purpose. Hopelessness is not part of God's vocabulary.

Honestly, my anxiety level is higher this week than it has been in a long while. We are enjoying the beginning of a host family relationship with a Korean 9^th grade student. Transitions bring challenges, but those challenges are not surprises to God who we feel has led us to bringing Hari into our home.

My father –in-law will be having a heart valve transplant and triple bi-pass surgery this month as well. Again, this is not a hopeless situation and not one that is a surprise to my God.

Without God in my life, I could look at my days in despair of all that needs to done yet and all that is happening around me in my little world and the big world around me.

God, help me to keep a perspective of hope in you. Life is nowhere near hopeless. I am so blessed. You have met every need and given me many of my desires. Teach me again how to hope in you and not in myself. Please make this season more special than I could have ever imagined. Show me afresh the Hope of Christmas.