Advent Hope

For those who gather in our home each Sunday, may this Advent season be one that beckons you toward HOPE!

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, where hope awakens us to the presence of God in us and in the world around us. Hope shines light into the darkness (our darkness) and beckons us to trust God.

Hope causes us to “forge our swords, our defenses, into useful tools” (Isaiah 2:1-5). Tools that build bridges and reconnect us to one another.

As we gather in different circles this holiday season, we will be tempted to pick up our sword. For most of us, this is a natural response. There is a fight in all of us (whether it’s active, passive/agressive, or passive/avoidance). It is a fight that protects us from “something.”

What is this “something?”

Slow down

Breathe

Be open

Acknowledge what that “something” is.

Ask, “What am I protecting? What part of me feels vulnerable?”

Tend to that part (IFS therapy is helpful)

Then, be curious and open as to what the other person may be protecting.

Swords are sharp. They cut, pierce, and sever.  Tools are useful. They help to repair what is broken. We have a choice each time we reach for our sword:

Will I do what is quick and mindless and reach for the sword to cut, pierce, or sever?

Or will I forge my sword into a tool? Forging takes a little longer. This is a process.

In this process, you will choose both sword and tool until the tool becomes more comfortable to use. Don’t give up.

Hope will see you through!