WHAT? SPRING IS IN THE AIR?

Today is the first day of winter ’23-’24 and the weather is warming up, just like it does in spring.

But, it isn’t spring … that is three months away…at least on the calendar.

When Spring does arrive, with it comes great optimism and hope for good weather, a sense of optimism and expectations of better things to come in the months ahead.

Thinking about those expectations reminds me that Advent is all about expectations and one of my favorite Christmas songs is Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. The lyrics, written by Charles Wesley in 1744 before our nation came into being, are meaningful….

Come, thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,

Born a child and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

For most humans “hope springs eternal;” that is, we always hope for the best, even in the face of adversity.  Thus, even with all the negatives that are swirling around our planet and our world, we can still hope that things will work out for the best.

I had a leader when I was working who was quite fond of saying…"Hope is not a strategy."  Whenever other company leaders had no plan for how they were going to proceed on a particular path of activity and would try to get by with saying …"Well, we hope that…….".

Hope may not be a strategy, but it is what gives us optimism for the future. While we wait for the future to unfold, let us use this Christmas season to re-energize our hope and optimism knowing that God is with us and will not abandon us.

Jesus is the reason for the season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Jim Hubbard