All I want for Christmas is...

hope.

It's Christmas again. I know it should be a time of celebrating the hope that Jesus offers, the hope of relationship with God now and the promise of heaven, a place where there will be no more pain and no more tears. But some days in the lead up to Christmas I've just been thinking it'd be better if we didn't have to face it (Christmas and all the stress that seems to come with it).

The girls are at the age where it's a very exciting time - they love opening presents, they love the lights, they love parties. But I guess for me Christmas reminds me of broken dreams, of what could have been but isn't. I realise it's best not to dwell on that, but sometimes it hurts.

So I went searching for a verse about hope, because I realise that hope is the best Christmas present anyone could give me.

Praying that God would fill your heart with hope this Christmas, that He would reassure you that He is good, that He alone is faithful.

Psalm 33:20-21 (New International Version, ©2010)

²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.