It’s no surprise that this week, the week that I am supposed to be writing about rejoicing, is a week where I’m feeling like doing everything but that! Isn’t that how it always works?! This is the season of being merry with all it’s twinkling lights, hot cocoa, and jingling bells. I’m a mom of little kids and sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that Christmas is up to me. That I must do more, be more, BUY more in order for it to be merry. This does not lend itself to rejoicing, unless we’re talking about finding the toys on my kid’s wishlists in the clearance section!! That may incite some rejoicing. But we’re not talking about that. 🙂
I know I SHOULD be rejoicing {expressing joy}, but I have a list out the door of things I SHOULD be doing. I’m guessing you might have the same type of list.
Then there’s our world around us, full of tragic news and pain. Brokenness all around us. What else are we to do but continue on, full speed ahead trying to just get through this season. Trying to outrun fear and stress or just numbing ourselves against it. Friends, if we do, we’ll miss it. We’ll miss something crucial. We’ll miss the opportunity to rejoice and the healing effect it will have on our battered selves. We need to rejoice, or more importantly we need the thrill of hope that evokes rejoicing.
“A thrill of Hope, the weary world rejoices.”
As the song suggests, we are all weary in one way or another. Weary from work, from a season of pain, or from a season of loneliness. Riddled with chronic stress, chronic need, or never ending battles. We are depleted from our lists of to-do’s, from our grief, or from our trials. This life is just plain hard and it’s natural to become weary as we wait for something better.
But that’s the beauty of Christmas! That’s why we rejoice…because Someone did come to heal us, to give us hope. And He came for you. Hope came for you.
His name is Jesus. The bible calls Him Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Christmas marks the rescue for us all, the moment when God came near and began the rescue operation. That’s the thrill. That God Almighty, in His sovereign, indescribable glory came near to humanity. And He is still wanting to be near to you. He sees you.
He loves you. And all you have to do is turn, quiet your heart, and look at Him.
That’s when you get the thrill of all-encompassing hope.
So how do we get from having hope to rejoicing?
To rejoice is to express intensive joy, to give joy , to feel joy and to act on it. This verb sounds simple enough, it really isn’t easy to act out. We cannot and should not fake joy.
Our joy is the effect of something else. Someone else. Emmanuel. Jesus. We express that joy, rejoice, because it is all we can do when our hearts open to receive His hope, His love…Him. Our weariness dissolves when we catch a glimpse of Him. And we rejoice. It may be in a loud song, it may be with a smile to the sky, or it may be through laughter overflowing you. But it is an expression of joy that we cannot contain.
As I sat here typing this, I was thinking of times when I’ve had that thrill of hope. I then looked out my window to see this.
And I saw Him. Not literally of course, but I’ve known Him long enough to recognize when He’s revealing Himself to me. I felt His smile in the sheer beauty He provided. Saw Him drawing near to me. Knew He was caring for me even right now as I attempt to write these meager words about Him. His love for us is extravagant, powerful, and everything we need. It thrills like nothing else.
And my weary heart rejoices.
Come, O Come Emmanuel
-Kallie
Thank you Kallie for reminding us to thrill and rejoice in the one who is our only hope – Jesus!
Your post was encouraging especially at this time of year when we can become so easily overwhelmed by our to do list that we lose our focus on the one we hope in.
Thanks for reminding this weary, worn-out momma! Though there seems to be so much to worry about and feel tired from, your simple, age-old solution hits straight to the heart.