Christmas Hope

When I was a kid and late November turned into December, my sleeping patterns took a turn for the worse. I would go to bed and toss and turn thinking about Christmas. The big day would still be weeks away, it didn’t matter. I would dream of the joy of Christmas morning.

I imagined playing with the toys I saw in Christmas catalogs like The Sears Wish Book. Who remembers skimming that behemoth of a catalog? Whenever that beauty popped up in the mailbox, kids everywhere dreamed of being one of the Rockefellers and having their choice of the coolest and latest toys. My eyes would glaze over in grandeur.

When sleep seemed like it would never come, I would get out of bed. I would prop myself up near the window, looking out into the dark sky in the hopes of seeing Santa. In school we always did a lot of math problems. We even practiced reading. I figured Santa spent a lot of time practicing too. He needed to get ready for his big night, right? And if I was quiet, I hoped that I would get a glimpse of him or his reindeer.

In the wee hours of the night I would finally fall asleep. My nights were like right up until Christmas. I’m grown now, some might even describe me as an old man, but I still love the anticipation of Christmas. Instead of dreaming of toys, though, I think of the gifts now that I can’t wait to give.

I dream of spending time with family. I think too of my faith.

Christians will celebrate the first week of Advent this coming Sunday by lighting the first candle on the Advent wreath called the “Candle of Hope.” The candle symbolizes the hope of the people of Israel who waited for the Messiah and the hope of Christians today for Christ’s return.

Here’s to hope in our lives.

Hope is a beautiful thing:

–“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

–“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” —Robert Fulghum

–“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” —William Faulkner

–“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” —Lady Bird Johnson

–“We need hope, or else we cannot endure.” —Sarah J. Maas

–“When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.” —Theodore Roosevelt

–“It’s always something, to know you’ve done the most you could. But don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last.” —Charles Dickens

–“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.” —Michelle Obama

–“To live without hope is to cease to live.” —Fyodor Dostoyevsky