Andrea posted an interesting comment to the Christmas tree picture below. She said “I know where that hope came from…” She meant the hope ornament that adorns my scraggly little tree here in Brussels. Several years ago, one of our favorite shops, the Paper Source, created wonderful little tags filled with these words: twinkle, merry, peace, miracle, cheers, rejoice, blessings, wonder, joy, hope, celebrate, grace, laughter, love. I turned them into ornaments and every year since have hung them on my tree as a reminder of the true gifts of the season…of life really.
But back to Andrea’s comment…it reminded me first thing today to remember where my hope comes from…like for real. And I am trying to cling tight to the real hope of Jesus these days. At least my heart is…sometimes my flesh gets a little shaky. Reminds me of this balancing exercise Cathy, my pilates instructor, has me do. Really simple—arms out, up on tippy-toes, hold, and back down. If I’m up on all five-toes, focused and drawing from my powerhouse, it’s all good. But if I try to use just a few toes, let my mind wander or don’t engage my core muscles…well, I’m like a Weeble that wobbles.
I was feeling kinda bad about my wobbling hope, but then I read Stef’s blog entry reflecting on a verse from the Song of Solomon. And it reminded me that the beauty of real hope is that it doesn’t depend on me being steady on my own, but rather strong and steady in the compassion and love of the Lord who tenderly carries me close to His heart. May we know and find assurance in the true Hope of the world this season.
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