Waiting in Hope

Joanie Shawhan is an overcomer. Her belief in God's Word and trust in her Savior, Jesus, informs her choices about the struggles of life. It also teaches her how to wait in hope for the God who is in control. In this special Christmas UPGRADE, Joanie approaches the celebration of Advent with the desire to encourage each one of us to "wait in hope.""Mom could no longer manage another winter in her house," Joanie said. "We decided to sell her home and move her into assisted living by Christmas."

My husband and I (Dawn) and his extended family went through something similar with my husband's parents in 2021. It wasn't easy. There were so many challenges—opportunities to trust God. But through it all, we learned a lot about trusting God's timing, and waiting for Him to show Himself mighty. Like Joanie, we learned to "wait in hope."

How does this relate to Christmas?

Joanie continues . . .

Several buyers walked through the house, but they shook their heads. The house needed too much work.

I feared it wouldn’t sell.

Doubt and worry had whittled down my hope and left me exhausted.

A friend reminded me, “You only need one buyer.”

As I prayed, I sensed the Lord nudge me to declare “Jesus is Lord” over our situation. I prayed as God directed. I felt enveloped in a blanket of peace.

Once again, I engaged in the waiting process. But this time accompanied by a new faith and hope.

As I pondered waiting in hope, I was reminded of the Christmas story.

The Long, LO-O-O-ONG Wait!

For centuries, the Israelites waited and watched in hope for the coming of the promised Messiah. Even when they endured persecution and exile, they waited in hope. Against all odds, they believed God would fulfill His Word.

‘“The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior’” (Jeremiah 23:5-6 NIV).

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 NIV).

Even though they trusted in God’s Word, did they understand these prophecies concerning the arrival of the Messiah?

It would be 700 YEARS LATER before the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.

“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33 NIV).

Even Mary didn’t understand the Angel’s message. How could the words of this angel be fulfilled since she was still a virgin?

But Mary believed God. Little did Mary know how her “Yes” would not only change her, but would transform the world.

Mary's “yes” acknowledged the Lordship of God as she waited in hope.

When I declare “Jesus is Lord” over my situation, I acknowledge God’s sovereignty as I wait in hope. Even when I don’t understand God’s plan.

How does my declaration of  “Jesus is Lord” help me wait in hope?

• I replace my doubt and unbelief with faith.
• I surrender to the will of God by confessing, “Not my will, but yours be done.”
• I relinquish control of my circumstances. God is in control.
• I acknowledge that when I obey His Word, I am not responsible for the outcome of my situation. God is.
• I express my love for the Lord through my obedience.
• I worship God for who He is and not just for what He can do for me.

Even when I wait in hope, the answer to my prayers is not always the answer I desire. Sometimes I don’t understand why a loving God would allow His children to suffer various trials.

I wonder if Mary recalled Simeon’s words when the Romans nailed her beloved Son to the cross.

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’” (Luke 2:34-35 NIV).

Mary didn’t understand God’s plan either. Only later did she see the glory of God.

We may not see God’s glory in our situation on this side of eternity, but as we walk with the Lord, we trust He will be glorified.

Advent is a liturgical season of waiting. A time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

The first of the four candles of advent is the candle of hope. Hope—a light shining in a dark place.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

We can wait in hope because God is faithful.

How are you waiting in hope during this advent season?

Joanie Shawhan shares true-life stories, offering her reader an eyewitness view of the action. Her Selah Awards Finalist book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, reflects the value of “Your story plus my story become our stories.” An ovarian cancer survivor and registered nurse, Joanie speaks to medical students in the Survivors Teaching Students program. She co-founded an ovarian cancer social group: The Fried Eggs—Sunny-Side Up. Publishing credits include: Guideposts Divine Interventions, Snapshots of Hope & Heart, Wit, Whimsy & Wisdom, Life Repurposed, and We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished. Follow Joanie at www.joanieshawhan.com.

Christmas Graphic adapted, courtesy of TerriCnuddle at Pixabay.

Advent Preparation According to Mary

Gail Goolsby, an educator and life coach, encourages women to learn how to live well. In this Christmas UPGRADE, she explains how Mary, mother of Jesus, lived wisely and well—and she encourages us to do the same during the tradition of Advent.

“Recently I read Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James,” Gail said.

“I discovered an expanded image of Jesus’ mother, Mary, beyond the virginal blue headscarf of Christmas nativity scenes.”

I (Dawn) am so glad Gail wrote on this topic. I think many Christ-followers misunderstand Mary—who she was and how the Lord called her into something hard yet beautiful. Beautiful beyond her imagination.

Gail continues . . .

Custis James described how Mary prepared for the COMING of her baby, the Messiah, and how she prepared for LOSING Him.

Through His painful sacrifice, she lost her son, yes, but gained eternal salvation and peace with God.

Mary’s model of heart preparation for all that was coming to her life motivated me to enhance my own Advent season of worship and reflection.

Advent Tradition

The word Advent means coming, derived from the Latin word adventus. Modern day Christians recognize the four weeks before Christmas as the Advent season to celebrate the wonderous arrival of Jesus the God-man.

For centuries this coming preparation did not focus on Christ’s birth but His second coming as King and Redeemer. Only during the Middle Ages did Christians begin to explicitly link the Advent season to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.

Today we combine the two targets of Advent.

• We anticipate the glorious reappearance of the judge of the world through the clouds.
• We remember the tender birth of a baby to a young mother in a humble shelter.

The first two Advent Sundays look forward to Christ’s second coming with songs like O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

The last two Sundays look backward to recount His first coming and lead us to Christmas Day. We rejoice with the angels and shepherds, singing the carols we love like Hark the Herald and Silent Night.

Advent Public Preparation

Historically, Christians prepared for Advent in similar ways to Easter, with prayer and fasting.

During a month of traditional parties and feasts, fasting can be challenging, yet can help center us on the reason for the season.

• The addition of Advent scriptures and prayers by congregant families in the weekly church worship service points us to the future and past comings of our Lord.
• Devotionals and special readings at home with family members gives reflection time direction and meaning.
• Parents often add a count-down calendar or place daily ornament-symbols on a holiday tree with their children while teaching Old and New Testament verses about Christ.
• Advent wreaths with four to five candles in significant colors set among greenery with blood-red berries are popular decorations in churches and homes. Each candle depicts a piece of the waiting and remembering story of Christ’s two comings.

Mary’s Personal Preparation

In Custis James’ presentation of Mary, I found THREE POSTURES that can prepare our hearts for welcoming the person and deity of Christ in our Advent practices.

1. Lose ourselves

As Mary agreed to take on the role of mother to Jesus, she lost

• her reputation,
• her engagement/marriage in cultural acceptance,
• her personal dreams and goals, and for a time
• the trust of her fiancé and family.

When her unthinkable situation became public, she lost

• personal safety and
• community tolerance.

Mary laid down her full earthly identity to become God’s servant.

Custis James wrote (page 167),

“Mary got lost in the very place where ultimately she was found—in her relationship with her son.”

2. Let go and let Jesus be Jesus

Beginning with the story of twelve-year-old Jesus remaining behind in Jerusalem after celebrating Passover, Mary and Joseph had to release their son to live out His destiny. Jesus shifted His authority allegiance from his parents to His Father in heaven.

Several times in scripture we see Him explaining this obedience to God versus His earthly family (Luke 2: 48-49; John 2:4; Luke 8:19-21).

Like Mary and Joseph and his brothers, we must relinquish our human ideals of relating to Jesus and discover Him as He truly is—fully God and fully man.

3. Embrace our destiny

Just as Mary’s fullest calling was not serving as the birth vehicle for Jesus, we must recognize our greatest identity is found in following Christ.

If Mary had not embraced her son’s spiritual teachings, her supernatural motherhood would have meant little.

An unnamed woman cried out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you” (Luke 11:27 NIV).

Jesus replied in Luke 11:28: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Custis James wrote (page 180), “Mary was the first to believe and lay down her life for the gospel. She was the first to leave all to follow Jesus, first to love him and minister to his body, first to hear and treasure his words, the first to share in his sufferings.”

The promise for each of us and the world is Jesus Christ.

He has come, and He will come again.

This is the essence of Advent.

How will you prepare yourself? Follow the model of Mary.

Gail Goolsby, MA, MEd, ACC is a lifelong educator, including past leadership at an international school in Afghanistan, and credentialed life coach with the International Coach Federation. Gail and her pastor husband of 40 years live where the wind blows over the prairie in south Kansas. She counsels and coaches using God’s Word to help others learn to live well.