I’m not sure why I woke up with this song running through me, but I did. Especially the words: “Hope…when life is hard. Light…when everything seems dark.”
Hope. It’s such a powerful thing, for it fights despair.
But now abide these three: faith, hope, and love. What is it about these three things that made Paul choose them? Why not list joy and peace?
I don’t know…but I do think that these three are, perhaps, what the world needs most to see and feel.
Faith that is real…faith that is knowing and relying on God and that is the product of revelation so deep that doubt is powerless.
Hope shining in a world that has none and that is being overtaken more and more every day by despair.
Love from the One who is love, for a world that has created its own definition of the word…a world where hatred and selfishness reign in everything from governments to families to churches…love shown in a way that breaks down barriers and misconceptions and reveals the Father to the world He sent His Son to save.
The lyrics to this song can be taken to mean the politically correct themes of world peace, etc. But my prayer–my meaning when I sing it–is that the hope that Jesus offers would shine forth in 2011 like never before…in quiet ways as tens of thousands of people around the world simply love those around them and walk out their faith…that those tens of thousands would be strengthened by the joy of the Lord and nothing else…that even as wars amidst governments and political realms increase, peace would reign in more hearts than ever before…that as the world gets darker and darker, the Light of the World will shine through all of us with greater and greater clarity…that the millions of hungry souls out there, whether rich or poor, would discover the relationship with God that alone can meet their deepest hunger.
Except my Christmas prayer isn’t just something I’m hoping for. It’s something I’m looking forward to seeing and being a part of, for God has promised that all this will come in His perfect timing. I don’t know how much of it we’ll see this coming year, but it’s coming nonetheless.
I pray joy….to the world…
Peace…for every boy and girl.
Hope…when life is hard
Light…when everything seems dark.
Beautiful song. 🙂
Katie, thank you for visiting. You are right – God will use even technology. I'm confident He would have supplied the hope I desperately needed some other way if that one wasn't available. I had a cell phone stolen from my hospital room one time so I always have my husband take it home with him. We forgot that night and was so glad for the forgetting.
Your blog is lovely. I appreciate your support of Compassion International and would like to put one of their buttons on my blog as well but I couldn't find a way to do that. Ideas?
Again, thank you so much for the visit.
Judith
that was beautiful. i love your prayer. actually, i love all your stuff (LOL!); I have your updates sent into my inbox so i'll be sure not to miss your sweet inspiring words! Thank you 🙂