y the Way: The Candle of Hope

By Scott Raible on November 30, 2024.

Snowflakes drifted softly against the stained glass of the small chapel, their delicate patterns illuminated by the warm golden light within. The scent of pine and beeswax candles lingered in the air, mingling with the faint trace of incense from the morning service. Outside, the world seemed hushed – a quiet expectancy in the frozen stillness of the Advent season.

Inside, Grace sat in the third pew from the front, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She gazed at the Advent wreath near the altar, its first candle lit and flickering in defiance of the gathering dusk. The remaining three stood unlit – a promise yet to come.

Over the past few weeks, the chapel had become Grace’s refuge, a place where she could sit with her thoughts and prayers. Her life had been turned upside down when her husband, Wallace, was sent overseas with Her Majesty’s Navy. At first, his letters had come regularly, their words filling her quiet evenings with warmth and laughter. But two months ago, the letters stopped.

No word. No explanation. Only silence.

The Advent wreath had taken on a deep significance for Grace, its candles mirroring her own season of waiting. The first candle, symbolizing hope, reminded her to hold onto the belief that something good could still happen, even in the midst of fear and uncertainty. That night, its small flame glowed brightly, as if to offer her a share of its quiet confidence. In its light, she found strength – a glimmer of hope in the waiting.

This Sunday marks the First Sunday of Advent, a season of waiting, reflection, and preparation. Advent calls us to pause and remember that we are a people of hope.

The first candle of the Advent wreath, the Candle of Hope, stands as a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, hope shines. Hope is not simply a wish for better days – it’s a confident trust that God is at work, even when we can’t see the full picture.

This season mirrors the waiting of God’s people thousands of years ago, longing for the promised Messiah. Despite generations of silence, they clung to hope. And then, in the most unexpected way – in a manger in Bethlehem – hope arrived.

In our own lives, we face challenges that test our faith and patience. Advent reminds us to hold fast to hope because God’s promises never fail. The story of Christmas is proof that even when the waiting feels long, light is always on the way.

For those wondering about Grace and Wallace, my grandfather Wallace did return home from overseas to the love of his life, Grace. She endured the waiting, and together they embraced the promise fulfilled, a life and legacy of love together.

As we light the first candle this week, let its flame remind us to trust, to wait, and to carry hope into a world that desperately needs it. May we be people who not only hold onto hope but share it freely.

This is the gift of hope.

Scott Raible has served as an ordained minister in Medicine Hat for the past twenty years, and started Christian radio in Medicine Hat with Alive 99.5 and later served as an announcer and music director on 93.7 Praise FM. Scott Raible continues to serve in ministry in Medicine Hat can be reached at scottraible@gmail.com

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