Hope – Bits & Pieces of Advent

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” – Psalm 94:19 (NLT)

As we drove into Monroeville, Alabama, doubts began to flood into my mind.

We (the Lawman and myself) chose to spend the last day of our “reset” vacation in the town made popular by the literary musings of Harper Lee (or Nelle as she was known to her friends) and Truman Capote.

A trip in November 2016 left us wanting to return to the small Alabama town which reminds me of a cross between several small Oklahoma towns – ones who are striving to come back from closing factories, to instead find their “tourist niche” for an economic boost.

A chance sighting of a Facebook event page for “the Grand Illumination and Winter Market” caused us to solidify our plans.

As we approached the town square and the courthouse made famous by the movie To Kill A Mockingbird, I looked at my husband and said, “I hope this doesn’t disappoint us.” The Lawman simply responded “we’ll get what we look for.”

You see, I fell victim to the disease which inflicts many during the months of November and December – the dreaded “Hallmark Movie Affliction,” or HMA for short.

As I read the Facebook description, I found myself dreaming of the perfect winter festival – you know, the ones made famous in the unending loop of those sugar-sweet Christmas flicks.

I wanted a picture perfect moment. I wanted perfection.

Instead I found what is characteristic of most small town festivals – a gung-ho (and extremely friendly) volunteer putting in a lot of sweat equity to give the community a reason to come downtown and support local businesses.

Rather than a made-for-tv set, we found friendly vendors selling homemade jams and jellies and freshly baked bread; along with artisans creating everything from handmade ornaments and cinnamon cucumbers (hey don’t knock it, they were fabulous).

We watched children from the community perform in front of their family and friends, singing “Away In the Manger” and reenacting the nativity scene from “A Charlie Brown’s Christmas.”

Slowly I realized, rather than a perfect movie set, I found a warm and comforting community festival filled with happy kidlets – especially when the snow machine began to fill the air with flakes during the town’s Christmas tree lighting.

My desire for a picture-perfect Christmas could have overweighed my real dream – having down time with the Lawman in one of my favorite locations. I could have let my HMA-colored perception blind me from the sweet reality my heart was hungry to find.

Proverbs 13:12 reminds us “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” (NLT).

It’s easy, during the days leading up to Christmas to look for perfection. Our anxieties grow as we worry about making a flawless holiday for those we love.

The challenge we face, is to put aside the HMA-glasses, and instead look for ways which fill our days with hope.

It’s ok “to cherish a desire with anticipation” or to “want something to happen or be true.” The key, though, is to seek out our hope with a foundation of faith rather than an unstable fiction.

I’m so glad, even as the doubts filled my mind, I was able to remove my HMA-glasses and instead see the world with a renewed hope and cheer.

My prayer for you is that you seek out a hope which brings you comfort during this first week of Advent.

Faith Actions

Remember, don’t feel like you need to do each step. Find a couple, or at least one, which help you focus on this week’s theme.

1) Read: Why not take time to read and reflect on the verse from Psalm 94:19 in a variety of translations or paraphrases. I’ve included a couple below. What stands out to you as you read the verses? What makes you go “hmm…”? What questions do you have after reading the verses?

“And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.” – Psalms 94:19 (CEV)

“If GOD hadn’t been there for me, I never would have made it. The minute I said, ‘I’m slipping, I’m falling,’ your love, GOD, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up.” Psalm 94:16b-19 (MSG)

2) Write: What are your hopes for this season of life? What are your dreams? Why not write them down as a prayer. Give the list to God and find comfort in knowing #GodsGotThis.

3) Listen: Need a hope-filled song to add to your life’s soundtrack? Check out Third Day’s “Hope In You.” http://bit.ly/ThirdDayHope.

4) Watch: In the movie “A Charlie Brown’s Christmas,” Charlie Brown struggles to find hope and meaning during the holiday season. Why not set aside a few moments this week to watch this classic flick and ponder what hopes you have for the next few weeks. One creative idea is to sketch out a Christmas tree and place your hopes as words on the glass bulbs.

Pst. Why not make it a movie night complete with buttered popcorn and hot chocolate (added bonus if you get whipped cream, marshmallows and candy canes).

What’s Next

Next week (Sunday, Dec. 8) we’ll take a look at peace.