Hope. A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. But how do we keep hoping after decades of failure, loss and disappointment? When does it end? When is hope fulfilled? 

I spent most of my day yesterday in tears. What I had been planning to announce completely fell apart. The dreams I had for my family collapsed around me and I felt…. hopeless… but God. 

You see, our loving Poppa is always there. Even in our pitiful moments of feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s His promise to us! To never leave us or forsake us! And when we listen, we WILL hear His voice…. sometimes in the words of love and truth from Godly sisters, and sometimes through an unusually deep conversation at the nail salon with a complete stranger.

He is a God who meets us where we are. Who comforts us in our pain. Who speaks through the most unexpected and humble places. Who would God be if He didn’t live outside the walls of a church? If He only spoke through the holiest of people or helped us when we got ourselves together? Who would He be if He didn’t love us in our utter brokenness? I will tell you… He would not have been born in a dirty, lonely stable, spent most of his time with heathens, let the world treat him like a criminal, or choose to love and fellowship with the worst of sinners. 

JESUS CAME FOR US. For you and me. In our mess. In our brokenness. In our imperfections and in our failures. He came to remind us that HE is the reason for our hope and nothing else. Because when He is for us, nothing else matters. When He is with us, we have all that we need. 

I pray that this Christmas you take a deep breath and know that you are loved. This holiday, we celebrate our Savior who came to give US a gift of something more than the world could ever give. Hope for a better future, a peace that transcends all logic regardless of our circumstances, and a love that covers every sin, every failure, every loss and every wrong turn. This love is the eternal, death-defying promise that no one can take from you. A love undeserved and often unwanted, but given freely nonetheless. 

So my prayer this Christmas is for you, friend, to let go of the worry, relinquish control of the people around you, let down the walls around your heart and LET LOVE IN! Your Heavenly Poppa wants nothing from you but your heart. And without Him is no life at all. 

🎄 Merry Christmas everyone ❤️