Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Sick Pilgrim

Home
Catholic
Dark Devotional, Third Sunday of Advent: Waiting on Hope

Dark Devotional, Third Sunday of Advent: Waiting on Hope

Last updated on: December 10, 2016 at 11:28 am by Guest Contributor

Dark Devotional, Third Sunday of Advent: Waiting on Hope 2016-12-10T11:28:47-05:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God –Isaiah 35

I don’t know much about Advent. Either all we ever did was light candles when I was growing up or I didn’t pay attention to the sermons at our Baptist church that time of year. All I know is that there are five candles (the middle one is the Christ candle, I think) and the word means “the coming.”

I think.

There is a lot of hope, it seems, tied up with Advent. There is justice to come, prophesy to be fulfilled, and, thus, patience to be had and perseverance too.

It’s a lot to hope for, and truly, patience is necessary. This makes Advent hard for me. You see, hope is hard for me. I’m a surfacey-patient person, but not terribly hopeful.

Coming #1 has happened. Christ fulfilled prophesies, part 1. It’s for part 2 that I wait, yet barely do I wait. To wait implies hope that something will come.

Isaiah’s prophecy is a stunning picture of blossoming land and glory and more:

Strengthen the hands that are feeble

make firm the knees that are weak,

say to those whose hearts are frightened:

Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God,

he comes with vindication;

with divine recompense

he comes to save you.

Oh, how I wish! Wish, not hope. My hands and legs shake with anxiety and hypomania and for unknown reasons. My heart is frightened. Where is my God? Will he come? Will he save me?

These are the questions I’m asking this Advent season, with little hope. Perhaps, though, perhaps these candles will illuminate the way, the next step, that is, in searching for my God.

Annie Williams lives in Mount Hermon, California, is a graduate of Calvin College’s English program, and a barista at Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company. She hopes to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. In the meantime, she enjoys the company of a talented psychiatrist, the lovely people at the pharmacy, her brilliant therapist, and an irreplaceable support group of friends and family, all of whom play inextricably important roles in her life with bipolar II. Annie writes honestly about her struggles with mental health and faith at honestmemoir.blogspot.com

Previous Post

December 8, 2016

Mothers, Artists, and Pain: Moon River and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Next Post

December 12, 2016 Advent, the Apocalypse: A Constant Uncovering of the Eyes

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Approaching Mystery art Book Reviews Catholic Ghost Story Catholicism community Confession Current Events Dark Devotional Deconstruction Deconstruction Fellow Travelers I Want To Believe Interview Laudato Si Lent Mary Matthew's Letters Movie Reviews Music Reviews Our Charism Personal Essay Pilgrims Pope Francis Popular Piety Prayer Publishing Richard Beck Saints Satan Sheed and Ward Sick Pilgrim Charism Sick Pilgrim Chats Sick Pilgrim Events Sick Pilgrim Travelin' Medicine Show Sick Pilgrimage to The West Sick Pilgrims Small Joys Spiritual Autobiography Spooky Files of Ave Maria Magazine Spooky October Spooky Pilgrim Spooky Pilgrimage Strange Journey The Inklings Things Keeping Us Going Trying to Say God TV Reviews Uncategorized women in the Catholic Church Wonder Podcast Write the Vision

Select a Month February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 October 2019 September 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the correct order of the seven churches addressed in Revelation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Laodicea, Philadelphia, Sardis, Thyatira, Pergamum, Smyrna, Ephesus Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea Smyrna, Ephesus, Thyatira, Pergamum, Philadelphia, Sardis, Laodicea Ephesus, Pergamum, Smyrna, Sardis, Thyatira, Laodicea, Philadelphia