As I sit by the glow of the tree, steaming coffee in hand, reading about Hope and fear and faith… I glance up, right into these eyes.

My Sylvie girl… the ornament we hung five years ago, with aching, hopeful, anxious, longing hearts. Our first Christmas with a daughter across an ocean. We didn’t know of the fight in front of us. We didn’t know the days of Waiting would turn to months and the months would turn to years. We only knew God called us to say yes to this little girl, yes to an unknown path, yes to Hurting and pain and loss and boundless love. He also continually whispered the words I read again just this morning before looking up to the tree and this ornament, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” (Mark 5:36b)

Don’t be afraid.

Just trust me.

I don’t know what you’re facing today, as we enter the season of Advent and walk toward Christmas Day. But I know when you are grieving or longing for healing or waiting for your baby or hurting deeply, this season can be harder than most. It can be a reminder, not of the Hope we look to, but of the one miracle or unanswered prayer just out of reach. If you’re in the pain, desperate for Hope, hear His words again: “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.”

He is faithful and trustworthy. His story for us is never our story for us but it is always good. He has a plan and a purpose and every tear and every moment of waiting and hurting will someday be redeemed. Maybe this side of eternity, maybe not. But someday, it will all be made new. That is the Hope we can cling to.