One of my grade one students asked me the other day why people use the word Hope at Christmas. "What does it have to do with anything ?" He inquired.
I believe that part of what Hope means is that there is more. More than the right now. More than the hard stuff, but more than the good stuff too. There is so much more. So many times in a day, as I am going through what seem like mundane activities ( Snowsuits on and off, on and off...tissues, runny noses, tears and laughter) I think about how I want more...more of Jesus, more of something that matters. Now can be fun, but it can also disappoint. Now can lift us up, but it can also send us crashing to the ground, face on the floor. But the thing is, even as Christians and maybe even especially as Christians, now is supposed to be hard. So lets do ourselves a favour not pretend its all pretty roses. Because when we are real, and admit this, the hope our saviour provides is even more beautiful.
" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has called us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in a last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while , if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials" Peter 1: 3-7 (ESV)
As Christians, he has shown us mercy...he has called us out of our old lives filled with all the yuckiness of our sin, and into one with Him...where He is the hope and He is the beauty.
He has hope stored up for us in heaven...and it will be prefect. It will be our "more". It will be our everything.
I am thankful that as hard as now might be, there is more.
At Christmas, there is hope. He is it.