After losing a loved one, I’m not sure anyone could anticipate what a season of deep grief and sorrow will bring. And the ‘grief experts’ certainly encourage us to not put any parameters or expectations around what our grief should look like. I will tell you this…after Mitchi’s death a month ago – my heart still hurts, feels pummeled, much the same as it did in the days after her death.

We keep talking/thinking about hope…and more specifically our hope in Christ. But what does hope really mean in relation to grief? I’ve been asking myself this question. The scriptures we read at Mitchi’s funeral remind us that the Lord our God is with us wherever we go…and that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted. At the funeral, we even sang of the “Lord of all hopefulness.” This hymn sings of an eager, kind, and gentle Lord who can give us bliss at the break of the day, strength at the noon of the day, love at the eve of the day, and peace at the end of the day. Nothing can take away the deep ache and sorrow of missing those who have passed away. But hope ultimately conquers despair. So, after an unthinkable Thanksgiving, and as we move forward into this tough Christmas season, we are left with few options but to lean into this Lord of all hopefulness.

Christmas is often described as a season of ‘hope.’ Advent is a season of waiting and anticipation. While the expectation for grief and sorrow remains very real, we can also rest in the expectation of ‘hope’ in Christ this season of Advent.

Our expectation for hope is not a wish like, “I hope we get a lot of snow days this year.” Our hope is a strong confidence, expectation, and desire for something good in the future. (Audio Advent) In Romans 5:1-5, Paul writes of a hope that is so certain we can boast in it…a hope that will not disappoint because God’s love has been lavishly poured into our hearts. This most certain hope, Christ, came over 2,000 years ago in the form of a very real baby in a manger.

Even in the midst of our sorrow and grief, our hope is found when we “Turn Our Eyes Upon Jesus.” (I love this Lauren Daigle version of the classic hymn.) It’s not a Christmas song, but just the same, it brings me hope this Christmas season in the light of His glory and grace.

This Christmas, when ‘merry’ and ‘bright’ don’t feel like a fit, I’m leaning into the hope of Christ through an Advent devotional written by Paul Tripp called Come Let Us Adore Him. And I’m listening to a podcast called Audio Advent. I invite you to join me if you are also yearning for hope this Christmas season.