Hope

The world is full of a lot of crap. Yes, cheery, isn't it? But this is the thought that has gone through my head several times in the past couple of weeks. It seems like every time I turn around there is something else happening that sucks. It's happening in the world, in my state and city, and to too many of my friends. My heart aches for so many people and there have been moments when it has been overwhelming. Too often I have no idea what to say, and I feel completely helpless. I wonder about God's involvement. It's Advent, a season when we talk a lot about hope, about God coming into the world and bringing a new kind of light into the darkness. I've preached on it, written newsletter articles about it, talked about it, but I haven't always been feeling it. (and don't get me started on how THAT makes me feel as a pastor) Anyway, just when I was feeling the worst about all of the crap in the world, I had my own moment of hope today. It's a long story, and not one I can share here, but it was a bright spot in an otherwise dark week. It made me realize that a little hope goes a long way, that there are people out there who are willing to be helpful and grace-filled, and that I need to pay more attention to and for just these moments.