Hope in the Dark - Intro

Christmas is coming. The lights will soon be strung and the cookies delivered. But in the middle of all the glamour and celebration, some of us will come up gasping for hope. ("Some of us" might mean me.)

Perhaps it seems strange to you that I struggle to find hope when Christians are remembering the very arrival of Hope. But I find that the pain and grief and questions we have carried all year become almost unbearable when contrasted against the twinkle and magic of Christmas. Wishing complete strangers "Merry Christmas" for a whole month can feel like a terrible attempt at covering up the brokenness inside all of us. 

Maybe I'm alone in these feelings. But maybe you have felt it too. If so, would you like to go on a little journey with me? A journey to find hope in the dark. 

This December, I want to look at the men who came before Jesus and clung to a promise, a hope, even when they didn't understand. Even when they couldn't see what God was doing. Even in the dark. 

I plan to post a free verse piece every Friday of December leading up to Christmas. Each post will also have a link to a Christmas song that I play on repeat. It has been a long time since I have been this excited about a writing project. 

I've never asked this before, but if you know of someone walking through hard and dark things this holiday season, would you share this series with them? My hope and prayer for this project is that we can walk through December knowing that we are NEVER alone.