Two Resources:
The holidays are hard.
There’s a gap between expectation and reality.
This is especially the case for those who have lost loved ones.
Reality One: God Delivers
During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
Exodus 2:23-25
Reality Two: The Experience of Exile
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
Psalm 137
The people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be plundered by the nations. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid.
Ezekiel 34:27-28
Jesus brings about a new exodus.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
John 1:14
Bottom Line
Jesus invites us to exchange our hurt for hope.
We can either leverage our hurt for hope or we can allow our hurt to callous our hearts toward God.
Action Steps
Prayerful Reflection:
- What hurts are you carrying into this holiday season?
- How are you reacting to God given the presence of hurt & pain?
- Where is Jesus making his dwelling among you (entering your pain)?
Practice:
- Praxis Podcast: Navigating Grief During the Holidays
- Engage the Advent Guide this week as an expression of hope
- Talk to someone about your hurt and allow them to speak words of hope over you
- Do one intentional act this week to bring hope to someone else who is hurting
