One year, just before Christmas, our daughter’s first grade class decided it was time to write to Santa. We had been waiting for that letter since we had no idea of her Christmas hopes. Laurie took paper and pen to bed, but sealed the envelope before we had a chance to see what she’d asked for.
When her dad came in from the barn, she asked him, “I need to know one thing. Do we have room in the barn for a pony?”
She already had a name, gender, color and personality picked out. The pony would be named Misty, she would be sweet and lovable, and she would be white with brown spots. Laurie got the name right, but the disposition of the colt was something else altogether.
For young Laurie, Santa was the person to speak to about hopes. For her, the important thing was to make sure there was room in the barn for the realized hope.
We are not so careful about making room for our hopes, but we should be. Hope is real. Even whispering hope is a powerful, if gentle, voice. If an earthly father can make room for a pony, imagine what our heavenly father can do.
Today we remember Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (397). This message was adapted from “Whispering Hope” written by Marj Leegard that first appeared in the May 2008 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.
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