Another Halloween has come and gone. Whether you went door-to-door asking for candy, attended one of the many Trunk-or-Treat events in town, or stayed home and curled up with a good friend and a scary movie, I hope you had a good time. You might finally be coming down from a sugar high today. Or maybe you’re just starting to get a good night’s sleep after that movie that scared your socks off. Either way, it’s time to start looking ahead to the next two big holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas.
A lot of people look ahead to these holidays with great anticipation. A few of you have already pulled the turkey fryer out of the garage to do a test run. Some of you are mapping out the strategy for Black Friday shopping. Others are starting to unpack Christmas lights and decorations. We get excited for what is coming. But as we wait, the weather starts to change, temperatures drop, and winds blow.
Life can be like that sometimes. Not just with seasons and holidays, but any day. You might have a good day, or a great few weeks, but then relationships break up…jobs are lost…opportunities slip away. You mourn, you suffer, you struggle. When life gets especially tough, you might wonder how long it might last and whether or not it will improve.
In the New Testament book of 1 Peter 1:3-9, the Apostle Peter celebrates God for the gift of “new life” because of the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all humanity so that we may spend an eternity in heaven with God who created us.
Peter reminds the people then, and us today, that this gift of eternal life will not fade or disappear. However, he also tells us that until that day comes, we can expect to struggle with pain, hurt, broken relationships, and other sufferings. Yet, Peter says that we should rejoice in these challenges because, even though we suffer, we know that God will care for us and keep a place for us in heaven.
When life goes “sideways” and it feels like you have to clear hurdle after hurdle after hurdle, you use these moments to demonstrate your continued faith in the power and love of God. It might sound backwards, but we can still praise God in the midst of hurt! Peter closes this passage by telling us that even though we can’t see Jesus in physical form, we still love Him and are filled with joy as a result of His presence. Even as the storms of life blow around us.
The point that Peter is making is that even though we might sit with heartache in the here and now, we can look forward to a joy greater than we can imagine. Even if life is pretty good today, the tomorrow that God promises will far exceed anything we experience. When we live through…struggle through…cry through…fight through difficult circumstances, we are demonstrating our faith in God. A faith that affirms God’s presence, protection, and peace.
So, as you wait with excitement for the coming holiday season, remember that difficulty, hurt, and suffering may pop up. When it does, you can rest assured that even in the suffering, you can (and should) praise God for God’s love, grace, and peace. Because these are things that will never fade or disappear. The best is yet to come!
Word in Faith is a collaboration of Wayne Association of Congregations and Ministers (WACAM), an organization partially funded by the Wayne Community Chest.
