Can we all agree that we need hope for the weary! We are the weary people and we need a whole lot of hope!
This past Advent, I purchased a devotional called, “The Soul Felt its Worth” by Frank & Norman. Each day features a different Christmas song or hymn. The authors dive into the lyrics, the history and the scripture that inspired the music, and study what the coming of Christ means for us.
Many of these Christmas songs are about hope. When I picked up my devotional one day, I noticed it was one of my favorite hymns, “Oh, Holy Night.” Several different thoughts and emotions came to the surface as I read (I almost always choke up when singing this beautiful carol). I sought to be present with the lyrics…
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”
If ever we have been weary, 2020 has been “that” year. We have been fearful, lacked knowledge about COVID-19, made attempts to cope, isolated, reframed the concept of quarantine, worn masks, worked from home, canceled plans, etc., etc. It’s been exhausting.
We. Are. Weary.
We long for this ordeal to be O V E R ! We long to have things “back to normal.” We hope that the development and distribution of a vaccine for COVID-19 will help to create a sense of peace, of normalness. Many put their hope in a vaccine or in other ways to deal with and conquer a disease that has caused a global pandemic.
I am weary. My family is weary. My friends are weary. My neighbors are weary. My clients are weary. And yet…
“Oh, Holy Night” communicates that the “weary world rejoices” [because of] “a thrill of hope.” It made me think, in what, in whom do I place my hope?
Is it in this world? Our government? My husband or my family? Is it in a job? In financial security?
Is it in the COVID-19 vaccine?
A weary world existed before COVID-19 and it will exist long after.
Weariness is not a new phenomenon. If we put our hope only in the things of this world, we will be disappointed.
As we enter 2021, and the vaccine becomes accessible, we may continue to experience weariness. We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world.
And here lies the truth of why Jesus stepped down from heaven and was born into this world. In the birth of Christ, we have hope of a life beyond this world. Frank and Norman (2019) write:
“Christmas is the first act in a story that would change everything. The first steps of the infant Jesus were the first steps on His long journey to the tomb where He would prove that there is no power on Earth or in Hell that can stop Him. That’s how much your soul is worth.”
My prayer is that I can fully put my hope in Jesus, no matter what the circumstance. That I place hope in the promise of eternal life. In the Word made flesh. Through Christ, God demonstrated how much we are worth to Him. My prayer is that you, too, may experience and rejoice in the depth of God’s love. And that even in the weariness of life, your soul feels its worth.
Author: Trudi Beck
Trudi is a member of our counseling team who loves working with adults of all ages. She is a trauma-informed therapist that loves helping people find freedom.
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