Advent Reflection | Friday, December 4

Today’s A Weary World Rejoices stories come from 7th Grade Students Tessa and Kira:

Tessa

Many times throughout this pandemic, I have found myself and others around me stressing a lot more. Whether it’s work, school, thinking of others, or how this pandemic has affected us and people around us. I’ve experienced many times how when people are stressed, we begin to feel hopeless with everything around us. With this, my story is how I have learned to cope with all of this, and how I learned to always have hope.

I’ve noticed that in these past months, my mind keeps being brought back to worrying for people I love and care for, whether it involves the coronavirus or not. Towards the beginning of all this craziness, whenever I was worrying or thinking of someone, I care about I oftentimes felt scared and hopeless.

I felt like there was nothing I could do to make things better. But as these situations went by, I realized that there was always one thing that made me feel better, and that was praying. As I prayed more, I felt less hopeless, because it really worked! Thinking back on this now, I’m beginning to realize how much more peace of mind praying gave me, and how much more hopeful I became.

Romans 15:13

  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the powers of the Holy Spirit.”

——-

Kira

Three years ago, my grandma died, and it was very hard for everyone in my family. It was very unexpected, but right now it seems that everything is unexpected.

That summer, my entire family went to Colorado for a little over a week to spread her ashes because that was a place that she and my grandpa loved. We did many things there, and I think I had forgotten how nice it was to spend time with everyone at once. We spread her ashes in a river right outside Boulder, Colorado. When I got home, I was very sad, but I had to continue on with normal life.

The next time we went to my grandpa’s house, he gave me something. It was a rose ring that was my grandma’s. He gave it to me because it was very special to her, and my middle name is Rose. So he thought that could be how I remembered her.

Now, it used to sit in my room because I was afraid of losing it, and I’m not a big fan of rings. I had an idea to put it on a chain and wear it as a necklace, and so I did that. So now I wear it everyday. I also know that she is still watching over me and my sister everyday. And that was my devotion. My tough time and the light at the end of my tunnel.

Psalms 147: 3

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

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