Advent is a liturgical season of hope. Think about something you are hoping for in your own life. The dictionary tells us that hope means we “desire with anticipation.” Hope means it can be fun to wait. We can plan and prepare for the time when our hopes are realized. Kids show us this during this time of year. They anticipate that Santa will come. They go to bed having left cookies and milk prepared for his visit.
If I found out someone I hadn’t seen in a long time was coming to visit, I’d clean the house, prepare a special meal, and wait for the doorbell to ring. Simply because my friend said he or she was coming. I would anticipate it.
Advent is about anticipation.
How would you feel if you really believed you were going to get this thing you are hoping for? You’d rejoice if you believed it was going to happen. Why do you think small children are happy this time of year? They believe their hopes will come true.
Advent is about rejoicing.
The key to hope for me is the realization that to truly hope means you “expect to obtain” what you hope for. Many of us say we are hoping for this or that but never realistically expect it to come true. For hope to be authentic you have to believe you will get it. Otherwise, it is just wishful thinking. I might wish to win the Lotto, but I don’t even play the game so I don’t hope to win. Hope takes a stand on your part. You have to be willing to say, “I’m banking on it. I know this will happen.”
Advent is about expecting.
Think back to the thing you said you hoped for moments ago. Now look at it in this advent context.
Do you anticipate it? Plan for it? Prepare?
Do you rejoice at the thought of it coming true?
Do you fully expect to get it? Are you willing to bank on it?
What does this all have to do with faith? Advent gives us the time and space to hope in Christ. It gives us time to anticipate His working in our lives. We can prepare and make plans. It allows us to be happy about it. We can say, “God works in my life and it makes me joyful.” It allows us to bank on Him. We can say with confidence, “Christ is in the world and in my life.”
If you are frazzled, stressed, running, baking, wrapping etc. I dare say, you have lost your hope. A hopeful person doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Take the season to rejoice, be with the ones you love and look forward with hope to the days ahead.
Please enjoy this short but poignant video describing more about this holy season.
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