I have struggled with gratitude, with the knowledge that what God has given me is enough. Often it has been far too easy to look at the accomplishments of a friend and find myself wanting what others have, thinking there is something that will make me feel happy and complete.
I know being “happy and complete” is not what this life is about. We all want to be happy, but chasing only the joyful moments can mean missing out on some of the most important lessons God has planned for us.
Daily I find myself saying this Frederick Buechner quote: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid.” God did not promise everything would be easy. But God has promised that we’ll never be alone.
This is what makes the this season both beautiful and painful. In Advent we wait knowing that the birth of Jesus is coming, but we also wait with hope for what we don’t know is ahead.
This message is an excerpt of “Be the buttonhole” by Sarah Carson in the December 2016 issue of Gather magazine. Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and the Nativity of Our Lord or Christmas Eve.
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