Dark Advent mornings draw to their close

Hear me, O house of Jacob,
all who remain of the house of Israel,
my burden since your birth,
whom I have carried from your infancy.
Even to your old age I am the same,
even when your hair is gray I will bear you;
It is I who have done this, I who will continue,
and I who will carry you to safety. - Is 46: 3-4

He devised a plan, a great and wonderful plan, and shared it only with his Son. As long as he preserved this secrecy and kept his own wise counsel he seemed to be neglecting us, to have no concern for us. But when through his beloved Son he revealed and made public what he had prepared from the very beginning, he gave us all at once gifts such as we could never have dreamt of, even sight and knowledge of himself. - from a letter to Diognetus

It can be so hard for us to remember, as we strain under the burdens of life in this world, that God is bearing us up and has already blessed us with gifts far surpassing the difficulties we face. Again, our struggles and our pain are so real to us, so present, and God can seem so far away. And yet he is nearer than anything else, though we have great difficulty reminding ourselves of his presence in our lives. The times when we most feel as if we cannot take another step are the very times when he is carrying us to safety. The times when it seems to us that we are most alone and isolated are the very times when he is most ministering to us, tending our wounded hearts.

In a few days we will proclaim that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, and even as we utter these very words our own lives can feel very cold and dark, and the light can seem far from us. Lord, please let the brightness of your love illumine our lives and lift up our hearts, that we might proclaim with hearts full of joy that you are always with us!