Welcome to my musings on this first Sunday of Advent.
Today we’re discussing …

Hope.

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Psalm 130:5, KJV

When I chose my author tagline, that short phrase that links all my stories together, I chose Finding Home in Hard Times. “Finding” because it is active, searching, encompassing the journey of discovery my characters will take. “Home” because what is romance but giving our hearts a home? And “Hard Times” because they push us from our comfort zones in order for us to grow.

Now, what does this have to do with hope?

With taglines, you’re supposed to remember them easily. Perhaps because they’re catchy or pithy. However, without fail, I find myself getting my own tagline wrong. So often I substitute the word “hope” in place of “home.” Finding hope in hard times. And yet … that so-called slip-up is actually an incredibly accurate description.

Hope is a theme that permeates every one of my stories. Because, without hope, how can we push through those hard times? Despair would overwhelm us and we’d never make it past the darkest moments.

Isn’t that true of Advent as well? Years, centuries, really, of waiting for the Messiah. Hope that God would fulfill his promise to send His Redeemer. And then, Jesus arrived. Not in the splendor of a king, but as a helpless baby. Born in a borrowed place. To a woman who chose to believe God when it could cost her everything: her security, her betrothed, her life.

Within those hard times, Hope Itself was born. Born to bring life, love, and an eternal home to everyone who believes in Him. This, this is why I love Christmas.

If you are facing hard times this holiday season, hold onto hope. Yes, waiting can feel soul-crushing, and it is, without the light of hope. But you are not alone. God is there in the darkness with you. He is Hope. He is the Word. And He left Heaven to fulfill his promises. Because he loves us.

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