How a Tough Time Changed My Understanding of Advent Hope

“Hope. I thought I knew what the word meant. And I’ve practiced that ‘hope,’ or what I thought hope was, since childhood:

‘I hope I get an American Girl Doll for Christmas,’ ‘I hope I’m not late to school,’ ‘I hope I can find someone else in class who loved ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ as much as I did…”

Hoping “for” is not the same as hoping “in”

To me, hope meant positive thinking that a desired outcome may come to pass…

But when the illness dragged on day after day, month after month, it became clear: hoping ‘for’ is not what hope is all about. At any rate, it’s not enough to keep me going…” Read the rest

What do you hope “for” or hope “in this Advent?

Let me know in the comments!

About Theresa Kiser

I’m Theresa Kiser, speaker and award-winning children’s book author of the picture books Arthur the Clumsy Altar Server (OSV, Coming Spring 2022), Seven Gifts of Baptism (Holy Heroes, coming 2022), and Liturgical Colors (Holy Heroes, 2019), as well as the fantasy adventure series The Manakor Chronicles. On a rare moment when I’m not writing or changing diapers, I might indulge in fruity teas, dark chocolate, and a good book.