Fear of Hope
Isn’t it wonderful?! The beginning of the holiday season with the first Sunday of Advent – Hope? Isn’t it the beginning of something wondrous? Yet, fear seems to keep us stoic and staid. We fail miserably to even utter the words that seem to remind of the comfort of His hope. Recently, I was awakened by my young daughter, Brileigh, in the wee hours of the morning, for what seemed to me to be an unapparent reason. I walked over to her bed to find the covers of her bed in a twisted, writhing mess. Thinking
this was the reason for the rousing from my beauty rest, of which I need plenty, I straightened her two blankets so they actually could serve the purpose intended. She said, “See, Daddy?”, pointing under my bed. Now in my groggy state, I simply ignored her plea and tucked her back in with a drink of water. Not aware of what I had witnessed, I 
too returned to my much needed beauty rest. The next day, I was with her again, making one of the numerous trips to the ‘potty’ when Brileigh mentioned that there were no ‘monsters’ in the bathroom because I was there with her. It was with that statement that the lightbulb was slowly glowing in my head. Her fears were showing in the form of a ‘monster’ and I had failed to comprehend the strength of those fears, yet she held onto the hope that Daddy would not allow the monsters to harm her, either in sleep or in the potty. I realized these simple monsters are what keep us from what is rightfully ours – Hope. We hold the most glorious gift in our hearts, yet our fear, however misunderstood, keeps us from expressing that Hope, that promise, that glorious gift of eternal life praising Jesus. With the first Sunday of Advent, Hope, remember our fears are but small monsters the Father will chase away. “And now these three remain, faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” 1 Corinthians 13:13. We celebrate Advent, Hope, Peace, Joy and Love because we celebrate His birth. We realize our own Hope.