Many entered 2023 with optimism that a hard season of suffering was behind them and that better days were ahead.
For some, this optimism was centered on personal concerns, perhaps in your own family or your soul. For others, this optimism was for matters of global concern, that the dangers of plagues and politics seemed to be moving in a better direction.
Looking around at the reality during the year-end, many could easily conclude that this year is ending heavier than it started.
Heaviness is undoubtedly how Mary and Joseph felt on their passage to Bethlehem. Heavy because of the physical exhaustion of pregnancy and travel, heavy because of the political frustration of a ruling class that seemed not to care, and heavy because of the anxiety of ongoing uncertainty with God’s plan.
As counselors, we often meet with people who say something like, “If God has a plan, I’m not seeing it. My health, my singleness, my addiction, my family unity – If God can heal these things, why hasn’t He yet?”
It feels heavy to doubt that God cares enough to intervene. While there is a time for heaviness, the hope Jesus brings pushes back against the
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