#msccyouth

My niece texted me her Christmas wish list last night. It held the typical things an 18 year old female would be interested in-clothes, cash, a new purse, cash, a couple of movie options, cash, some technology, cash, car accessories, and cash (do we notice a theme here?). At the very bottom of the list, however, was something that surprised me. She had typed, “Oh…and maybe a little bit of hope that I get through my first year of adulthood in one piece. Do they bottle that? LOL” This was a continuation from a previous conversation, but it really struck me.

Hope. That’s what the single most important young person in my life (sorry youth group kids! ☺) wants for Christmas. I thought about this for quite a while, until it finally occurred to me, I can’t give her that. I can’t give her Hope that everything will be okay. I can’t give her Hope that the world will someday be a better place. I can’t give her Hope that kindness, love, and light will flood her world. And this makes me heartsick.

BUT (and here’s the good part!) I can show her the One that can!! I can tell her about the baby born of a miracle, laid in a manager, and worshipped by shepherds. I can tell her of the child He became who taught in the temple. I can tell her of the man He was who taught, healed, and loved. I can tell her of the savior He is. Of the sacrifice He made to bring Hope to us all. That I CAN do.

Sharing that HOPE is something that everyone can do! No matter your age, no matter where you are, no matter your gifts. Sharing the hope we’ve found in Christ is one of life’s simplest joys. It’s in the way we live out every minute of our day. It’s in the way we view our future and in the plans we make.

I’ve always viewed Christmas as the season of HOPE and have decided that this year, my gift to one and all is to make sure that I’m sharing the HOPE I’ve found in Christ. Who’s going to join me?