Getting ready for bed last night was an exciting thing. I had just put fresh flannel sheets on the bed and both warmth and comfort were anticipated. It looked promising for a great night's rest.
Around 3am the promise broke.
Our sweet son who plays hard and sings constantly during the day, was in our room complaining of a stomach ache and sore throat!
Not good news.
Dave is by far the most compassionate person in our house during these situations and he was the first to comfort him and get him a bucket. Both were needed.
We settled Alexander into our room quickly once we realized what kind of night it would be. Around 5am, our sick boy called out desperately, "Is it morning yet?" Although he didn't voice it, his hope was that morning would bring the normalcy he so badly wanted. It didn't.
It was a long night and day for Alexander and he ended up missing "The Birthday Party for Jesus" at church that he had waited for and planned for all week.
At night we gathered as a family to talk and pray. Fitting to the season and to the day, Dave led us through a few Biblical prophecies related to Christmas. The prophets spoke of a hope that was to come. They longed for a Messiah and hoped for restoration as a nation. Their hope was in the promise of the prophecy and they waited. We talked about how the people of Israel expected things to happen even though they were given clues and how things actually happened. We talked about what expectations we place on God today based on our desires and how we could follow God less selfishly. As a family, we realized that it is hard to pray in a manner that focuses on knowing and loving God more than asking God for personal blessings and comforts.
When it was Alexander's turn to pray tonight, he simply prayed that he would follow God tomorrow and asked that no one else in the family get sick and named each of us to God.
I was deeply touched. Even in his fatigue and feverish body, he understood.
In a small, allegoric way, I was participating in the hope of our sweet, normally energetic boy who had experienced an extreme low today. His selfless and heartfelt prayer was a reminder to me that we have a Great and Eternal Hope who we can place our trust in this Advent season.
I love the sentimental and romantic feelings that our holiday celebrations create. I also know how quickly these dreams can be dashed - leaving us angrily and discontentedly staring at mere fragments of what we thought to be our hope.
My hopeful prayer tonight is that we would place our hope and strength in God, the Father. That through the Holy Spirit we would be able to respond to the sacrifice of Jesus and act selflessly in order to display the incredible riches we have in this season of fulfilled prophecy.
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