Christmas Hope

It doesn't seem like a coincidence that all my health issues from the past year are coming to a head right around Christmas time.  Christmas is a time of hope; a time for putting our faith into things unseen, things we cannot detect with our five senses.  Think of all the faith our society puts into the "magic of Christmas".  How many movies have been made about believing in Santa and Christmas and everything that the holidays represent: good tidings to all, joy, peace, love?


 I was baffled by a verse in the bible that was presented to me several weeks ago, and just today was given a new look at that verse from a devotional that my dad, Ron, sent me.  Don't you love it when you have moments of clarity?  When a concept finally presents itself in a way that your brain can understand it?  That's what I've always loved about math and physics.  I am presented with a concept that can quite often resemble a tangled up string of Christmas lights, but bit by bit the string unravels and at the end of the day I've learned a new concept that blows me away and makes my brain tingle.  Ahhhhhh, how I miss calculus!  


Here is the verse that had me stumped: 


Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  -   Hebrews 11:1


I now understand what this means.  When I apply this verse to my current life "equation", I end up with a solution.  I will be getting my pathology results on December 19th.  I am hoping for the best, but not necessarily believing that all will be good.  I am prepared either way.  The thing that keeps getting me is the amount of people who are SURE that the results will be positive.  They have the conviction that things will be fine.  They are sure that what we hope for (positive results) will come to be.  They have faith.  It's as simple as that.  Do you see how that works?  They have the "assurance of things hoped for".  They have a belief in something that cannot possibly be known, seen, heard, touched, smelled, or tasted.  It is a conviction!  Maybe they are just telling me this to make me feel better, but I honestly believe that most of them, if not all, truly believe that things will work out fine.  And for that belief, for that FAITH, I am truly grateful.  


This Christmas season is filled with more hope and faith than I have ever experienced before at this time of year.  It will be a magical Christmas for me this year.  Not only do I get to spend it with some family that I seldom get to see on Christmas day, but I get to have the simple peace that comes from knowing that I am loved and that faith is surrounding me on all sides.