Elane Huprich

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” Psalm 130:5-8 English Standard Version

As Advent Season began this year, I chose the new book, Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons. It is a beautiful book filled with original art by the author. On day 1 I was challenged with the question of whether I would turn from expectations to being expectant. As I pondered this exhortation, I was reminded of a Christmas morning many years ago.

I had expectations when I was younger about what Christmas morning would look like in my family. But over and over I was disappointed by my Daddy’s behavior each year. He would always tell us not to get him anything. (Which I now say to everyone. Oh my, I have become my parents! I digress.) One Christmas morning when I was in my late 30s, we were exchanging gifts, and my Daddy abruptly got up and left the room. My expectations of an ideal Christmas morning were shattered, yet again. I was so disappointed, and I could feel anger stirring inside me. I had had enough. So, I followed him into the kitchen, where he set at the small table holding his head. Frustrated with him, I said, “Can’t you just stay with us while we open our gifts, even if you don’t want any gifts?” His answer changed my view of him, and others, in a very profound way. He told me that when he was a boy, he was told that if he was good that Santa would bring him gifts. But Santa didn’t come. I was taken back in time. I was given a glimpse into one of my Daddy’s most painful recollections. This was a memory that flooded him every Christmas and with every gift that was given or received before his eyes. I have tears as I type these words. Can you imagine the depression-era child who thought he wasn’t a good boy because Santa didn’t come in his youth? It still hurts to think of the pain this triggered in my dad year after year.

I am forever grateful that I followed my father into the kitchen that day. It certainly shaped my view of him. A new light was shed into the person he was. I once thought he was an angry, callused, and uncaring hermit who was tolerating us, at best. The new illumination showed a young boy who felt he was unworthy of gifts. It changed my relationship with my Dad. It changed my view of lots of people and lots of situations. I now give others lots more grace and the benefit of the doubt. I realize that we all carry wounds and brokenness. I have learned not to depend on my own expectations of others. And I don’t take everything so personally. My Daddy’s departure from the gift giving wasn’t about the rest of the family. It was all about his wounded and rejected heart.

How can you adjust your expectations this season?

Expectations of the gifts you will receive?

Expectations about the events you will attend?

Expectations about the people you visit or host in your home?

Expectations about the food you will eat?

Expectations about the decorations in your home?

Expectations of your travel plans? Believe me, I have had to let go of lots of expectations in several airports this year.

Oh, how we can get bogged down in Christmas expectations.

I pray that this year you and I will remember that the Christ who was born in Bethlehem will never disappoint us. He has come. He was born to save our very souls. He is what Christmas is all about. We can have expectancy in God, but not in expectations of the man-made rituals of the season or in others. Expectancy in Christ gives us eternal HOPE.

Ruth Chou Simons closes Day 1 with this prayer:

“Dear Father, we praise You for all You have done and have yet to do. Help us to long for You alone rather than the expectations and desires that do not satisfy. Realign our hearts according to Your Word, that we may have a heart posture ready to receive Your provisions. And when we’re tempted to bend toward our earthly desires and ways of thinking, teach us to recount Your faithfulness and remember that You are God. While we wait for Your purpose to be revealed, while we look to Your Word, soften our hearts to trust in You instead of ourselves. Amen”

“Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.”—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Excerpt and artwork used by permission from Harvest House Publishers from Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons. www.harvesthousepublishers.com

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:15-16

We have seen so many shifts around the world due to the COVID19 pandemic these past two years. So many things are different now – not what we once knew and even took for granted. How many of you have become proficient at online meetings? Working, church and school from home was not unusual as we stayed safe at home. My understanding is that droves of US workers are now voluntarily leaving their workplace and resigning from careers. This new phenomenon is referred to as the “Great Resignation.”

I kept thinking of this term. When I graduated from college a LONG time ago, I was so excited to start my career and join the workforce. I was raised by two parents who both had very strong work ethics. My dad’s idea of vacation was to use his week off from his job to plant his garden. Working was a part of everyday life for me. My mother started working for her company when she was 15 years old. She ended her career with them over 50 years later.

God showed me that He does not require me to have a strong work ethic to be a part of His family. I don’t have to be the smartest, best dressed and most efficient worker there is. I don’t have to feed the poor. I don’t have to sit on any particular committee in a local church. I don’t have to be a missionary. I do not need to do anything to gain His love and His forgiveness. Jesus came to die in my place, and He didn’t have a list of jobs that I needed to do to be His daughter and to receive the grace that He offers me.

So now, I am thinking that I want to be a part of the “Great Resignation.”  I want to set aside the idea that there is something that I must do in order to earn God’s love and acceptance. I do not want to be strapped with the idea that my salvation has anything to do with any good works. Jesus loves me. He doesn’t wait for me to have the right job and do the right things. He runs to me wherever I am and whatever I may be doing.

I want to be a part of the Greatest Resignation – I want to give up WORKS of righteousness that I think will earn God’s approval and love. He gives freely to us, and our works are an outpouring of our love and obedience to Him–not the other way around. Don’t get me wrong, doing good works is part of the Christian walk. But it is not the way we earn our place in God’s family.

Lord, we are in the midst of the “Great Resignation.” So many people are resigning from their jobs.  May I resign from works-righteousness. May I see Your heart of pure love for me. May I never diminish the Gospel by my works. Let me be a part of the “Greatest Resignation.” Let my motive to serve be total delight and a natural flow of the Holy Spirit’s direction.

“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

I was traveling this weekend with the Sweet Monday Board and staff for our annual retreat. We were in Pawleys Island, S.C. Natural beauty was everywhere.

The first morning I arose (actually, it was more like I stumbled from the bed!) at sunrise. This was new for me; my normal routine is to sleep until my body can no longer stand to be in bed, which equates to about 8:30 or 9 a.m.  The sky in Pawleys was filled with low-hanging clouds. I knew it was the correct time for the sun to rise, since I had checked my handy weather app the night before. I was expecting the sky to be streaked with brilliant colors – you know, the blazing oranges, reds and yellows.

But as I waited with a couple of Sweet Monday staff members for the sun to put on its morning show, we saw little evidence that the bright orb was truly rising. Disappointment reigned.

Then…it appeared! Golden rays subtly peeked through here and there.  The clouds had only partially hindered this glorious sight.

The Holy Spirit prompted me by saying, “This is how I am, Elane. I am always there, just as the sun always rises. Sometimes, I’m hidden by the clouds of your life. Sometimes you miss me, because you are still in bed and not even looking for me. Other times you act too quickly; you peek out and see clouds and go back to bed before the rays have shown themselves. Or, worse, you just forget that I am here ‘carrying on to completion the work that I have begun in you.’ (Philippians 1:6).”

“Stick with me,” the Lord says, through sunny days and cloudy ones. Trust that your Master is continually working on the masterpiece that is you!