To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalm 25:1–10
In this season of Advent, we celebrate the coming of Christ in myriad ways. Ornaments are hung on the tree — many sentimental, many reflecting the holiness of the season. Hymns are sung shouting the good news from the mountain tops. Advent candles are solemnly lit each Sunday, our hearts reflecting upon peace, joy, hope, and faith in expectation of Christ’s miraculous birth.
We rarely fully share feelings of bleak despair this season, of being entirely without hope, as despair’s etymology suggests. But there are moments in many of our own stories that were or are described as dank, dark, and depressed — true desperate voids that are shrouded from any minuscule spark of hope in what is to come.
I recall one such despairing season in my own life that happened to coincide with the arrival of Advent some time ago. Months that far outnumbered my fingers and toes were consumed with addiction. Secrets and shame kept me spiraling into deeper depths of despair.
I was completely without hope. There was no way out. My fight was gone. I couldn’t even find words to ask for actual help, but somehow managed to share my long held secret pain through exhausted tears.
And through the gift of abject desperation, I found the gift of hope. Hope showed up in the hands of a nurse in the detox center who lifted water to my lips when my trembling hands could not hold the cup. Hope showed up in the eyes of the counselors who intently listened to my story. Hope showed up in the twinkles of Christmas lights that shone along the roadways as I returned home. Hope showed up in the smiles of unknowing colleagues and friends in the weeks and months that followed. Hope showed up, and still does, every single day that I wake up sober and free from the chains of addiction.
This season, I remember that the journey toward Christ’s birth was full of desperation. Mary found herself pregnant without a husband. Nearly ready to deliver her child, she was led through a confusing and unfamiliar land. Joseph was surely desperate to find a place for Jesus to be born, only to be turned away from any shelter that may have seemed safe, warm, and clean. Turmoil abounded in Bethlehem!
And yet, hope showed up.
And maybe that’s how it often works. Without the gift of desperation, I wonder if any of us would ever know the real gift of hope.
And as the Psalmist says, God is always good and loving and faithful. Those who hope in Him, even after wandering long, perilous, seemingly hope-less paths, will not be put to shame and will find shelter! In our humility and desperation, God will guide us.
My prayer for you is that you find the promised gift of true hope this season.
Today’s reflection was written by an anonymous member of the Hope College community.
If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol addiction, help and hope are available. Call Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services at 866.852.4001 or the SAMHSA National Helpline at 800.662.HELP (4357).
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.