Today's Gospel

A Reason to Hope

The night had hope written all over it. Anita and I had been married just over a year, and our hearts were full of hope for all the years of our life together still to come. We settled into the bed for the night. Our hearts were full of hope for what God might do in our years of ministry that were still to come. And when we went to sleep that night, I knew I'd be preaching the next day. I was still a pastor at the time. It was Saturday night. I had a sermon on my mind, and I awoke with a startle about 11:30. Anita was stirring me to share the news. Her water had broken. All the months of training, the Lamaze classes, the anticipation, the coaching, the prayers, it was all coming into reality. This was the night, the night with hope written all over it. So we rushed to the hospital, Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Georgia. She was admitted into labor and delivery. We called our family members. Her parents headed out to meet us. For the next six hours, we shared a night of hope. I leaned over Anita, encouraging her, trying to keep her mind off the pain, leaning over to remind her of the breathing the classes had taught me.

Her kind words to me, "Your breath really stinks, Alan," were just the first in a number of very kind things she said to me between midnight and 6:00 AM. The most memorable was when I asked, "Does it hurt, honey?" Not a good question. At about 6:30 in the morning, Sarah Ann, our firstborn, arrived. As the doctor wrapped her in a blanket and he placed her on Anita's belly for a moment, she and I sat there and the only word I can describe it with is hope. There she was, a real-life person. And she was our responsibility. There was no turning back now. We had great hope, hope of what God would do in the life of Little Sarah Ann in the years to come. Hope for her schooling, hope for her salvation, hope for her growth and dreams and joys, hopes for her future spouse, hope for grandchildren. All that hope rolled up into one. About that time, Anita's mom flung open the door to the room, swooped in, scooped Sarah Ann up in her arms, and I'll always remember the look on her face as she held little Sarah Ann for the first time and said, "I have been waiting all my life to be a grandmother." Hope was written all over her face. Hope was written all over that night and that early morning.

We are a people of hope. Hope for what lies ahead. Hope in a God who loves us and guides our steps and has great things in mind for our lives and our destiny. We come from a long line of people of hope. The Israelites prayed and prayed for release. God heard and answered with Moses. And as they made their way to the Promised Land, God went before them each step of the way as a cloud by day and fire by night. They knew His presence. He had a future in store for them. The Israelites were a people of hope. And so are we. Advent begins. And you can read this gospel today in one of two ways: A. The Son of Man is coming in an hour you do not expect. "Ooh, I'm scared, and that makes me worry a little bit." Or the Son of Man is coming. Thank goodness. Thank God. The child is coming. He is coming to us. He is coming for us. We are waiting, and we will be ready. He is our hope. Knowing that because we are ready, because we're waiting, the child will arrive. He will love us, and He will show us the way home to God.

Because we are ready, we can even look forward to that child when He becomes an adult, and that Easter morning when we will look into the tomb of Jesus and discover that He is not there. He has been raised. He has conquered death. He has kicked open the door and will take us there with Him one day. Ours is a God who has great plans for us in this life and even more in the life to come. We are a people of hope. God goes before us. To the future, He leads us. Our hope is in Him. Hope does not disappoint us because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans chapter 5. Thank you, St. Paul. Jesus is coming. Indeed, the King is about to be born. God is coming to us. Jesus is coming for us. To the future, He leads us. In faith, we will follow Him knowing He has great things planned for our lives and our destinies. That is hope.