“There’s no happy to it.”
The woman snapped at the clerk who wished her a Happy New Year. The clerk meant well. Who’d have thought she’d get such a negative remark from saying Happy New Year?
I turned to the young girl behind the counter. “Sweetie, it’s been a hard year for everyone.” I handed her my store card. “You keep that pretty smile. It offers hope.”
The year 2020 was tough, but it’s behind us. Now, there is hope.
I remember the movie, Ghostbusters II, when negative thoughts and frustrations were so high that it overcame a city. Bad things began to happen. It took hope—the promise of all that was good—to restore the desire of a city to pull together and be happy again.
COVID has pushed us to the brink of complete negativity. People can’t see anything positive in their future.
Christ told His disciples of His impending death. He reminded them that shortly they would not see Him. They would grieve and hurt, but later, He would return. Jesus likened their grief to the pain of a laboring mother—at the moment it was excruciating pain, but once the child was born, the pain was no longer remembered. Instead, the mother rejoiced in the birth. He later reminded them trouble would always be present, but they should not worry for He had overcome.
In other words, hope. Things might get hard, but there is hope because Christ has overcome the world.
We cannot hide from the difficulties of the world, but we can seek hope. Hope will always exist because Jesus gave us that gift. I realize the great loss many have felt through the pandemic of 2020. Some have suffered job loss, illness, even deaths, but we cannot allow ourselves to remain stuck in hardship. Instead, we should rally together, seek joy, and grasp hold of the hope promised to us through Christ Jesus. He didn’t die in vain. He died that we might have the hope of salvation, grace, and eternal life.
Currently, we feel the sting. Remember, Jesus overcame. So will we. Stand tall, pull your shoulders back, and step into the New Year with hope on your side. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son.”
Hope then, now, and to come.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Cindy K. Sproles is a best-selling, award-winning author. She is a speaker and a conference teacher who teaches nationwide. Cindy is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, www.christiandevotions.us, and www.inspireafire.com. She serves as a writing mentor with WRAMS (Writing Write Author Mentoring Service) and is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.