Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. [NLT]
Christmas has a way of heightening our expectations, doesn’t it?
The week before Thanksgiving I parked a few blocks from the town square and walked to my favorite coffee shop. As I proceeded to the café in the brisk morning air, I noticed the Christmas wreaths already hanging on the downtown lampposts. Although it seemed early to get into the Christmas spirit, when I saw a work crew setting up a huge Christmas tree in the center of town and heard music blasting from a loudspeaker, I was all in.
Brimming with holiday cheer, I expected to hear Deck the Halls or It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. Even Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Imagine my confusion when peals of Little Deuce Coupe met my ears! I’m not kidding, Little Deuce Coupe! Who listens to the Beach Boys when erecting a Christmas tree? What I expected fell as flat as a deflated balloon.
Expectations have a way of underlining and sometimes undermining the “most wonderful time of the year” for me. My natural instincts expect the weeks surrounding the holiday to be filled with family connections. With perfect gift ideas, nostalgic traditions and, of course, snow on Christmas Eve. These expectations reflect hopes, but hopes that can lead to disappointment.
This stands in stark contrast to the message of hope birthed at Christmas. Christmas hope surpasses every expectation we can imagine. Why? Because it’s founded on the love of God. Love so profound, so unexpecting, that it turns the whole world upside down. Paul writes in Romans that when we recognize how much God loves us, our hearts overflow with hope that never disappoints. No matter what difficulties we face, the great picture of God’s love coming to the earth as a tiny baby overshadows all else.
So I’m trying to hold my expectations lightly this year. Although I will probably always hope for snow on Christmas Eve, I want to hold fast to the hope that never disappoints. Hope that drowns out every rendition of Little Deuce Coupe.