Dixie Baird

First Sunday in Advent: Hope

The first candle on the Advent wreath represents Hope. On the first Sunday of Advent, we anticipate the birth of Christ and celebrate the beginning of a new liturgical season. Sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle,” the first candle reminds us of Isaiah’s foretelling of the birth of Christ.

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13

Being a really practical person, a few years ago my thoughts turned to the reality of changes that would inevitably take place as I progressed into my 80’s. I wanted to make any major decisions on my own.

With my husband’s death in 2019 and having no family in the town where I had lived for 56 years, it made sense to begin to think of moving to Wilmington where my daughter (my only child) had lived for over 20 years. That meant selling a home I’d been in for 48 years, disposing of 90% of my belongings, leaving friends and a beloved church home, and adjusting to everything being new and different.

I always considered myself as having a very flexible, adjustable, and open-to-change personality, yet a feeling of being physically and mentally overwhelmed soon set in. With hope for a smooth transition, I knew I would need strength from a higher power rather than relying on just my usual practical and organized nature. Only God could help me get through what turned out to be one of the most stressful and demanding times in all my years.

My initial prayers were to help me realize the need for and the benefit of “letting go” of a lifetime of accumulated things, all just “stuff,” discerning what really mattered. The result was liberating, freeing, releasing, and calming, and probably the greatest gift I could ever give my daughter!

I later prayed for patience as I maneuvered through the myriad of adjustments associated with the move. Over a year later, I am confident, reassured, and at peace that the move was the right decision. Just enough is plenty enough, really more than enough. I am extremely grateful!

Thanks be to God who most definitely answered my prayers and strengthened me. We but need to turn to Him.

Dixie Baird