Advent Reality

It's been a hard day for me. A friend, the first friend I made at Vanderbilt, had a stroke yesterday. He is a young, healthy, law student, with a lot of ambition and potential. My heart is breaking for him and his family as they deal with all of this with Christmas so quickly approaching. My aunt had hip replacement surgery today too; which means Olson Christmas will be different. And of course Janson Christmas will be very different too. And it's final season on campus. You can feel the tension in the air.

Until today, I was feeling very relaxed and comfortable. Life was good, my big tasks and hurdles were completed a few days ago. I felt good about how everything came about: Sunday school, Alternative Gift Fair, the PSF Advent party, the Campus Wide Advent service. I was hopeful and expectant, as Advent challenges us to be. I was relishing in the sun & warm weather, embracing the many possibilities for my life post my YAV year, and enjoying spending time with the community I've established here.

In a matter of a few hours, it's become so much more complicated and uncomfortable. I know that joy and sorrow, calm and chaos are all to be expected in life. It still is crappy when life gets all shook up again though. So, I get by through praying for comfort and peace; healing and renewal of spirits; for hope to bless us all in the moments of hopelessness. That's the reality of Advent: finding a reason to be hopeful and expectant in a world and time when it's so hard to do that.