Our loving God wants nothing more than for us to run into His arms with the love and trust of a little child. And that, that is the hope we have in our relationship with God. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Having hope requires effort and determination on our part.

No matter what we have done or what we have failed to do, God is always with us, always ready to forgive us, to mend our hearts and souls, and to teach us so that we don’t repeat the errors of our past, but instead, better follow God’s leading in our lives. In this season of Advent, we too expectantly wait for God, hoping and trusting that God will help us sense God’s life-giving presence in and among us.