One child has given us hope. He came to earth as a baby born in the humblest of circumstances. He grew to man that modeled unconditional love, true servanthood and ultimate sacrifice. Because of that hope, our church has determined to pay it forward this Christmas – to give hope to children. As I watch the generous response of people, I am reminded that there is something deep within all of us that desires to make a difference in the lives of those with less.
We all need hope. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
When hope is lost, so is the reason to live productively and fully. Christmas is a reminder that God gave us hope. The fulfillment of God’s predictions, given hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, gives us hope. The mere chance of a person randomly fulfilling those predictions is beyond mathematical probability.
On a website called Gives Me Hope.Com, I was encouraged by the following. “Yesterday I was coming home on the subway. I wasn’t upset, but I was sniffling because I had a cold. A homeless woman came down and sat next to me. She asked if I needed help. No one has ever asked if I needed help. Even though I didn’t need any, I thanked the woman, and I will never forget her. Her ability to care gives me hope.”
Another person noted, “Today my school had a fire drill. I was standing outside with one of the most popular football players, when a girl with Down Syndrome came up to him and wanted to hold his hand because she was scared. Happily, he held her hand in front of all his friends back to class. His soft side gives me hope.”
Victor Hugo in Les Miserables, “The word which God has written on the brow of every man is Hope.”
Live in such a way that someone could say of your example, “He/she gives me hope.” Remember, the source of lasting hope is Jesus.
Romans 15:12-13 (God’s Word Translation) “Again, Isaiah says, ‘There will be a root from Jesse. (Jesus) He will rise to rule the nations, and he will give the nations hope.’ May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Give Hope this year. Merry Christmas!
Glen Schneiders
