Merry Christmas from the CAC! HOPE During this time of year, I am often reminded of the Hope of Christmas. “Hope” is a tiny but powerful word that is often found embossed on holiday cards and sung about in church musicals. As a Christian, understanding the spiritual meaning of the Hope of Christmas is particularly significant. One of the dictionary definitions of “hope” is “a feeling or expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” In the Bible, Jesus is often referred to as our Hope. This Hope should not be confused with a wish that all our dreams will come true or every present we longed for will be under the tree this year. For thousands of years, the world had been waiting for a Savior. Because of Jesus’ birth, the Hope of the Nations became a reality: that no matter what we face in this world, we have been given the expectation- the certainty- that our eternity lies in heaven. His death would give us salvation, and we would no longer be separated from God. This is the true Hope of the Christmas season. Although only One can give us the ultimate Hope of Christmas, there are many types of hope we can give to others all year long that is also more than “wishful thinking.” The CAC strives to continually offer hope and healing to the abused children that walk through our doors. These children who share their story of abuse often have a long, difficult road before them. They may face heartbreaking family separations, lengthy trials with disappointing results, disbelief from family members, family financial struggles and trauma from the abuse. Throughout it all, the CAC seeks to be a source of encouragement that there is hope beyond the terrible things these children have to endure. Some circumstances and certain relationships may never be the same once abuse occurs; however, abused children can find a “new kind of normal” that helps them find healing from the parts of their abuse that they can control, and to make peace with the rest. As a counselor, seeing these same tragic scenarios happen over and over again could leave me discouraged and skeptical that there is any real hope for these children beyond their abuse. Thankfully, hope is a gift that it is often reciprocal. The CAC offers hope to children that have lost homes, family members, financial security and self-respect, among many other things. Despite it all, these children begin to smile and laugh again. Parents have told me that they don’t know what they would have done if the CAC had not been here to help their family. I have watched young girls proudly tell their stories of loss and devastation to other group therapy members, encouraging them that they, too, can prevail over their circumstances. The testimonies of these children and their families give me hope when I feel hopeless. It is the beauty of hope in action. I cannot change circumstances or prevent the unfairness of this world. But if I choose to become bitter and give up, a child may lose the one person who can tell them that their life did not stop with abuse and that good things can still happen. These children are a daily reminder to me of the kind of hope that Jesus wants to give us: the certainty that He has plans for us beyond the painful things we have had to endure: plans to give us a “future and a hope.” During this Christmas season, I pray that we will all have opportunities to be reminded of the Hope of Christmas and our eternal assurance in Jesus. I am grateful to serve children at the CAC that remind me that there is hope beyond the horror of abuse, and I am thankful that God continues to show all of us that there can be a brighter tomorrow full of hope! Merry Christmas! (Written by Grace Vaughn, CAC Education Specialist/Therapist) Visit southeastcac.org or our Facebook page to learn more about the CAC.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 21:09:30 +0000
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