Hope is here.
There are times when we need a little magic.
We need a little hope.
We need a little love.
We need a little Christmas.
We have spent the last couple days putting up the finishing touches on our Christmas decorations. Decorating our new house for the first time took longer than we anticipated. But it was worth it.
We have always held hard to the “no Christmas until after Thanksgiving” rule. But things change.
For those new to following our journey I’ll give you a quick catch up.
Last year, Brady was admitted for his bone marrow transplant the day after Thanksgiving. He underwent Chemo and total body radiation before getting his transplant December 3. He was on track to be home for my birthday on December 20 when things took a quick and tragic turn. He ended up in the ICU and his body started shutting down from an infection.
He struggled to rebound, but rebound he did. He was released Christmas Eve morning. After only 15 minutes home, Brady fell. He fell so hard he broke his front tooth and needed an emergency root canal.
That evening he was in so much pain and got so sick we ended up in the ER and then readmitted to the transplant unit.
He was home for less then 10 hours.
Christmas Day was spent getting more scans of his body and separated from his family.
It was awful.
He remained in the hospital until the middle of January.
It is shaping up that Brady will most likely be gone for most, or all, of Christmas again this year.
Only this time, he will be eight hours away.
I tried to make peace with all these memories and thoughts swirling in my head as I watched Aubrey and Cooper last night sitting next to the train as it rode it’s track around our tree.
Around and around it went.
Their faces softly illuminated by the white Christmas lights while Christmas carols played behind them. This train is Brady’s favorite part of our Christmas decorations. It was my dad’s train left after he passed away. Every year Brady sets it up. It’s just his thing.
As I quietly watched them, I realized this train is the perfect reminder. The train travels around and around the track never coming to an end.
Just like the hope we can find in Jesus.
It has no ending.
So this year. This beginning of November. We need a little love. We need a little hope. We need a little Christmas.
Right this very minute.
Christmas is hope.
The mere thought of it brings joy to my heart. All that God promised his people, it’s here. It is the hope of the everlasting being realized.
We need hope. We need hope in a cure of Brady’s cancer. Hope in resting in His peace through the trials. Hope in finding joy in the midst of the battle. Hope in walking in compassion in the depths of our pain. Hope in finding love on the road of uncertainty.
Hope.
Hope lies with Jesus.
Jesus was born on Christmas.
So we need a little Christmas, right this very minute.
Here is to finding hope no matter where we find ourselves.
Hope is here.
His name is Jesus.
Shields up.
Swords out.
Peace, joy, and hope,
Kristin
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
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