As we enter the Christian season of Advent, and as we focus on the hope of the season, it’s

important to acknowledge that for some, hope seems out of reach. In particular, those of us

who have had a loss, whether recently or years past, experience the season differently. We may

be more familiar with the aching and longing that comes from the absence of someone we love.

We may feel isolated because of our grief, and shy away from being with those we love, and

who love us. We may not even be able to grasp that sense of hope that comes from imagining

what our lives will look like as we move into the coming weeks and year.

This is a meditation about gazing into hope:

What does that look like for those of us who are hurting during the holidays? If Advent is anticipating the coming of Christ, how can we begin to imagine that kind of hope for our current lives? What does the hope of Jesus mean to the day to day of our existence? What if we just aren’t in that joyful, holly jolly kind of place to kick up our heels and make merry? Working with grief any time of year, I encourage those who are moving back into life to be gentle with themselves. To accept where they are, and to have confidence that whatever they are feeling is not only acceptable to God, but JUST WHERE THEY NEED TO BE at this moment in their grief journey. I’m going to invite you to go with me on a meditative journey for the next few minutes.

Please settle into a position that is comfortable for you. It does not matter if you are sitting or lying down. Let’s begin by focusing in on our bodies. Close your eyes. Feel your breath – just notice the air moving in and out of your lungs. Feel the rise and fall of your chest. Ever so gently. You don’t need to change a thing, but you might notice that you begin to breathe more deeply because you are focusing on your breath.

Begin to imagine yourself walking along a country road. It is evening, but the moon is full, so there’s still enough light to see the road ahead clearly without streetlights of any kind. There is no car traffic, so you need only focus on the road in front of you. Imagine a companion with you so you feel safe. Maybe it is a friend, or your partner, or a dog, or another animal. It can be the loved one you are missing, it’s up to you.

Who is with you who makes you feel safe in your solitude? You walk along together silently, not needing words between you. As you crest a hill, you see light in the distance. You are drawn to this place, your next destination. As you gaze into the distance, imagine what is waiting for you. This can be anything you desire.

This is something YOU HOPE FOR. Without limiting what that could possibly be, in that place, that which you desire is waiting for you. What does that look like? Is it the future you have trouble envisioning? Is it you healed, happy and present to your life once again? Able to breathe easily, to feel in your purpose? Is it a job? A relationship? A gathering of friends or family? It does not matter whether your mind believes it is realistic or not. It is something you HOPE FOR.

As we grow closer to that place where your heart’s desire is REAL, begin to allow yourself to FEEL what it is like to be present to what you have hoped for. IT ISN’T IN THE FUTURE. IT IS HERE AND NOW. Let us take a couple of minutes in silence and BE in this place fully. What is happening in this place of your heart’s desire? How do you FEEL to be present here? We are focusing on the FEELING. As we have gazed into what you have hoped for, notice that it is no longer somewhere out in the FUTURE, but real to you in this moment.

It may be hard to say goodbye to this place, this circumstance, these people, but for now, say your farewells and oh, so gently return to this space here where we are. Taking the time to GAZE INTO HOPE allows us to step out of the pain we have become used to, and to imagine a life connected to something real, vibrant, and the desires of our hearts. It doesn’t require our minds judging the practicality of that vision – it only requires our imagination to allow us to FEEL that as the present moment.

As we move through grief, that kind of present joy may feel out of reach, or even dissonant. It is not a letting go of the love for the person we have lost. It is gazing into WHAT IS ALSO STILL TRUE. You are HERE, you have purpose, and you have LIFE stretched out in front of you. When you are READY, you can CHOOSE life and to step forward into it. When the time is right.

This is a time of waiting and anticipating, just as in Advent. But we can also hold the vision of that for which we are waiting and longing. I invite you, as you move into this time of hopeful anticipation of the birth of Jesus to consider it a parallel journey of the birth of YOUR FUTURE as it unfolds. You may wish to revisit this meditation as your own journey towards your HOPE.

Beautiful Lord Jesus – even as we hold in our hearts the hope of your coming in our hearts, to remember your good news, help us to gaze into the hope of our own futures, even as we journey on our own paths of grieving. Let it be so, Amen.

This meditation was written by Rev. Diane Pennington and originally shared during interfaith prayer. You can watch the meditation here.