My Only Hope

Welcome to my Advent Blog. This is the 9th of 13 blogs and I encourage you to read them in order. We are exploring ways to rediscover the child-like faith we once had.

I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
     -- John 17:13

Why do children exhibit such joy? Is it because of their lack of responsibilities? Is it because of their trust in their parents to take care of them? While even the youngest of children don’t have joy bubbling out of them all the time, compared to adults, they win the bubble contest every time. 

So when do most bubbles get popped? You can see a steady decline starting about 2nd grade (even earlier for some). By the time, we get to adult-hood, joy doesn’t come so easy anymore. In fact, it takes effort to do what once came natural to us.  
The weight of sin, work and winters in southwest New York tends to drag us down.  My only hope is in the one who is willing to take my sin upon himself. My only hope is in in the one who redeems my work and amplifies my gifts. My only hope is in the one who can make the coldest of winter days seem beautiful.  My only hope is in the baby born in a manger.  

The Christian life is not meant to be one long, glorious moment of unbridled joy. You really don’t have to read very far in the Bible to know that. But God does offer us a way to get back to the child-like joy we once had. 

Maybe this Christmas will not be your best Christmas. Maybe it will be more blue than white? There are some things that are just beyond our control. But I do know that Jesus came so that we don’t have to stay blue. There is still joy to be found in this life. Our God came down to earth to show us how to regain it.       

The next two blogs will be posted Thur, Dec 19, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Please feel free to comment below.
Pastor Dan