Being a Messenger of Hope

On this first Sunday of Advent, we celebrate HOPE -- the great expectation that something good is on its way -- by lighting the first candle (the HOPE candle) on the Advent wreath. Advent means a coming or arrival, especially of something or someone extremely important. In biblical terms we speak of the four weeks before Christmas as the Advent season, when the Lord left heaven and came to earth to be born of a virgin to dwell among man. It's a time when we prepare our hearts as we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior. While enjoying carols, visits to see Santa, chestnuts roasting, baking Christmas goodies and gift giving, we can still ponder Advent. It keeps us remembering the reasons for this glorious season. It's about hope.

The birth of Christ gives us the hope for living life trusting, believing, and expecting that all He’s promised will be ours if we patiently wait for His perfect plan for our lives. As we wait, we can deepen our relationship with God, knowing that the sweet infant in the manger is really our triumphant King of Kings. That precious baby grew up, and He sacrificed His life so that we can live a life of hope and great expectation.

So, do you have your hope up? Are you a hope messenger or are you a VDP (very draining person)? How do people feel around you? Do they feel more or less hopeful? Are we hope messengers who make people feel encouraged, cared for, and uplifted. In other words, do people feel more hopeful because they’ve spent time with us?

I can't help but think about the people who have given me hope over the years. Whether it was an encouraging word from a friend who helped me push through a day that seemed so overwhelming, or a boss who had more faith in me than I had in myself (true story) – who gave me so much hope in myself that I could attain that position that seemed beyond my reach. My husband was a hope messenger. I am positive, capable, strong, self-sufficient, peace and joy-filled because he was relentless in pouring into me hope and encouragement. I can be a hope messenger because I knew and know hope messengers.

One of the great things about getting older is the opportunity to share the lessons I’ve learned in life. Helping people to believe that tomorrow can be better than today is an incredible gift and can change lives in powerful ways. What about you? Do "your" people leave you feeling more or less hopeful? It's time to get our hope up and our "expectors" expecting. Let's be hope messengers so others become hope messengers, too!

Stop Playing the Waiting Game and Start Enjoying the Journey

We've all played "The Waiting Game" -- waiting for the birth of a baby or a doctor's report, waiting for a job, waiting in line to buy a ticket, or to ride a thriller roller coaster, or for a cashier to stop chatting and get on with checking us out. In due time, our wait comes to an end. Our situation or "wait" can change suddenly. Waiting is a fact of life — no one gets out of it. So the question is not IF we'll wait, but rather HOW we’ll wait -- and often-times, HOW we wait during the journey -- determines HOW LONG we wait.

If we are expectant and hopeful, praising and trusting God in the middle of the "wait" -- believing the answer is just around the corner, and expecting this problem to be solved at any moment. then "suddenly" what we've been waiting for actually happens.

A pregnant woman carries inside her the promise of a baby, and even though she can’t see it, she knows it's there. And she begins to plan for her baby's arrival. She loves collecting items the baby will need, is excited about the baby shower, and gets the nursery ready. She actively prepares for the arrival of the baby because she knows the promise will be fulfilled—it's just a matter of time. And, even better -- is when she embraces the season of waiting -- enjoying the journey of hearing the first heartbeat, seeing the first ultrasound, feeling the first kick in her womb, and celebrating the sweet moments of expectancy with her husband.

When we settle down, and start praising God in the middle of the WAIT, full of hope and expectation, God, whose power is limitless -- WILL break through for us. So let's stop playing the "Waiting Game" and let's start enjoying the sweet journey to our promised answer -- it will be so WORTH THE WAIT!!