What happens to hope when it seems like our circumstances are not quite what we wanted them to be? What if God call's you to something that seems to be too great or too hard??? I know that many people say that God will not give you more than you can handle, but think about Mary (Jesus' mom). This is not some story to make us feel warm fuzzies at Christmas time. This is the real deal.
A teenage girl, who is not much different from the teenage girls you might see in your schools, is told by GOD that she is to give birth to the "son of the Most High". What in the world???
God did not deliver Jesus down to a billion dollar family, in the right school district, and in the safest neighborhood. Jesus was born to Mary in the worst of circumstances in one of the most dangerous times (Herod is trying to kill all the boys in the area). Next time you go by a barn, see if there are families waiting in line to deliver their baby there. Not one.
The reason we have hope is Christ. He helps us live life to the full in spite of our circumstances, not because of them. God loves you too much to let you be comfortable in this world. If you are a student and are reading this I want you to talk with your parents this week about some of your hopes. And if you are an adult I want you to talk with your kids (or if you don't have kids, talk to someone's kids) about what their hopes are. It's time we got hope back. Christ is calling us to hope this season and I hope we will listen.
