Raquel Alvarado Torres is the spiritual life coordinator intern at Habitat for Humanity International. She is based in San José, Costa Rica. Read her Advent reflection below:
Imagine for a moment the life of this woman. She went from being part of a family, being a friend, being a daughter and being loved to being removed from society because of her medical condition. Adding to that, she had no home to stay in, no resources and no cure for her condition. Her future simply seemed hopeless — an empty and lonely life.
Suddenly, hope came to her ears. There was a man who healed the sick and the paralyzed, who drove away demons and who could change the course of her life. This man was Jesus, the Messiah. We can easily perceive how hope was the only thing left for the woman. It was the only thing she was waiting for, and her time of waiting was over. Her hope had come, and her hope was Jesus.
Trials and difficulties often take precedence in our human nature. They can cloud our thoughts and take our focus off our path. But just like this woman, our hope must remain and must become the fuel to continue our journey. Jesus remains forever, and the Jesus who healed this woman is the same Jesus of today.
In this season of Advent, Jesus invites us to rest our hope in Him. By God’s grace and mercy, our ministry offers that ray of hope to so many families in search of a decent place to live. Jesus shows us that our hope in Him is not in vain.
Hope is a small word with only four letters, but it is extremely powerful when we allow ourselves to live it daily. A popular saying states that hope is the last thing to be lost, so let us celebrate the enduring hope found in Jesus during this season of Advent and throughout the year.
Father, enable us this Advent season and every day of our lives so that our hope in You may remain despite circumstances. We recognize that You are a God who remains faithful to Your promises, and we know that You are in perfect control of our lives. Lord, we are assured that our hope in You is not in vain, and we thank You for that. In Jesus’ name, amen.
