Finding hope in gratitude
By Carrie Gruhn
As the season of Advent begins, we reflect on the candle of hope.
Advent, in my own experience, has been a time of preparation.
Waiting. Watching. Hoping. Looking towards Jesus’ birth, and what God will do in the coming year.
One of the songs in our hymnal is “Be Still My Soul.”
During times of stress, anxiety, grief and worry, I find it is really hard to be still.
It is really hard to wait.
It is really hard to place my concerns with God
and leave those concerns with God.
It’s also been difficult to hope.
The second verse of the hymn says
“Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.”
There are so many things that shake my hope some days,
And yet I remind myself that God is at work in my life.
Those of us in overwhelming times can’t often see what is happening
Yet God *is* with us.
As we take steps in discipleship, or following God more closely,
it is easier to keep our confidence in the truth of God’s word -
that what is mysterious will become brighter in our understanding
as we continue walking the path of faith.
Gratitude helps me find glimmers of hope.
I take time to make a small list each day.
Remembering even the small things that I experience,
holding them as a flickering candle
letting the light grow
Helping hope feel renewed.
Hope begins our month of anticipation.
Waiting for the birth of the baby who becomes our Lord.
May we find and renew our hope in the stories of the season
In the songs we will sing
And within our conversations with those around us
Lord, we reflect on Hope today; the first of the five candles we’ll light this month.
Help us feel confident in our hope, and aware of how you are working with us and through us. Renew and strengthen our hope, so we can joyfully share your light within our world. Amen.
St. John member Carrie Gruhn is a Certified Lay Servant and part of our youth group leadership team.