Season of Hope
Thank goodness for fresh new starts! The Christmas season of perpetual hope without fail comes with gigantic personal challenges. Why? Because… it involves people; flawed and sin-filled people. There are rivalries, chaos, resistances, perfectionisms, triggers, old childhood grievances, unfulfilled wishes and unresolved grudges still at large and very presently woven throughout the season of joy and peace.
Expectations run high and traditions that used to be great sometimes evolve to cause harm. By the way, you know how your traditions came to be? They came into effect because you and your family had fun the first time you tried something new. So much fun that everyone decided to do it again. In our human nature we increase the effort each year to make the tradition bigger and better than the year before until the fun becomes so jam packed with expectations that disappointments are followed closely behind them. Perhaps it time for some traditions to come to an end.
Every year as we dethrone the Thanksgiving turkey and pack left over pumpkin pie in the fridge we plunge head long into the season of perpetual hope. Distracted by the shiny objects, black Friday sales, blinking outside lights and blow up snowmen; hope remains that this year we can keep our eye on Jesus and remember the reason for the season. Or perhaps this year we can tolerate a relatives unwarranted comments a little better, after all it’s about love. More than any other time of the year, its Christmas time when I am reminded the most that I need Jesus. I find great and supreme comfort in knowing that I cannot be separated from the love of Christ.
“If God is for us. Who can be against us?” Romans 8:31-32 NKJ
Apart from Christ I would not have the capacity to endure it all. It is a time of togetherness, warm embrace and abounding grace for the porcupines that travel through my space. I would be omitting truth if I didn’t call myself out and say sometimes I am the biggest porcupine of all. I need Jesus to transform me year to year and glory to glory. This transformation is not something I can do all on my own and actually it’s not something God can do all on his own either. It requires relationships; a relationship with him reveals the Truth and a relationship with others helps to better understand how I’m living out that Truth. It seems all year long is preparation for the trails the Christmas season brings.
Without Jesus I would be left with just two options. One, I could control the comfort in my environment level like controlling a thermostat in my home or option two, I could completely deny my own sinful ways and cover my weakness by hiding. Thank goodness the celebration of the birth of Jesus comes at a poignant time, when we have all traumatized one another with our high expectations. At the very peak on Christmas morning and the wrapping paper begins to tear there is a relief and sigh that we made it- the season is over.
Thanks goodness for a brand new year with new beginnings. There is another 12 months in front of me to prepare mentally, emotional and spiritually. Maybe next year when the Turkey is dethroned and the pumpkin pie is packed away in the fridge we will plunge head long into the season of perpetual hope wishing for unity and hoping for peace… Someone please stand up and remind us all, that we have been rescued from our own demise because Jesus came and saved us from our own fun and traditions.
Sheri Page has been married to her husband for 10 years and cherishes their blended family of 6 adult children and 9 grandchildren. She has worked in and alongside ministries for over 30 years. She has served many roles with in the walls of a church including, a Women’s Ministry director and assistant to a Care Pastor where she served people who were walking through Baptism, Celebrate Recovery, Divorce Care and benevolence. Sheri loves to share her curiosity and unique understanding of life with Jesus by her side. She is a 5 year breast cancer survivor and considers that experience to be the one of the greatest gifts God has given her. More writings from Sheri can be found on her blog: https://thelordsdwellingplace.com/