Advent Reflections 02
Liz shares weekly reflections on the period of advent.
My family have always loved decorating the house for Christmas. We have our traditions which I inherited from my own Christmas-loving family! These traditions came under the microscope when in the Christmas of 2009 my Dad called me to tell me the news that he had cancer.
Facing decorating the tree and all the Christmas traditions suddenly seemed pointless. It was in that place, where my world felt like it was spinning out that I discovered the promise of hope that sits in the Christmas season.
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. – 1 John: 5
This verse sums up the reason. There is darkness. Rather than holding our breath and hoping that it will be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ we can have confidence to face this season with the promise that even when life doesn’t pan out like a picture-perfect scene from the movies we have a reason for hope and for celebration. No matter how dark the dark gets – because of Jesus, the light wins.
In that moment in my London flat, pregnant and with a whole load of questions of what the future would look like for my family, I began to quietly worship as I hung up the lights. Each one a defiant act of victory to declare that no matter what, my hope was in the light that shines and will not be defeated.
It's out of moments like this that God has shaped some of our leadership training for young people too. We are committed to equipping young people to lead no matter what they face.
What does leadership look like when life is hard? Every tree that I pass, every light hung on a house is now an active reminder of the God who came and ‘moved into the neighbourhood’ – John 1:14 (The Message Version) so that I can take courage even in the darkest moments.