Hang on to Hope

One of my favorite Christmas stories is “The Little Spider,” by Sigmund Brouwer. It tells the story of the vast array of animals in the stable after Jesus birth when the Angel warned Joseph in a dream to leave before the soldiers, under orders from King Herod, came to kill the baby.  Each of the animals is full of hope that they can ensure their safety by traveling with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.  Off they go in the dark of night as traveling companions to the family, convinced that they will never leave their side…certain they will be the hero that will rescue the Christ Child.

As the story continues, the mouse loses hope and becomes discouraged because he is certainly too small to be of assistance. The cat soon drops out of the picture as he is enticed by all that he sees outside of the stable he called home. Dog saw the size of Herod’s army marching toward them and lost hope because he was so outnumbered that victory against all those soldiers seemed unlikely, if not impossible.

Mary and Joseph found a cave to hide in so they could rest for a while. The little spider was the only traveling companion left with them. When she saw them shivering against the cold night air seeping into the cave that was already damp and chilled all she could offer was to begin to spin a web over the opening to the cave so that the family would be protected from the cool wind that howled.

As morning broke and Joseph awoke he could hear the sound of soldiers approaching the entrance of the cave. Quietly they huddled in the darkness, praying for God’s protection. The soldiers were just about to enter the cave when one of the men noticed the web that Spider had spent the entire night creating. “There is no one inside. Anyone entering would have torn that spider’s web,” he observed. And the soldiers passed on, leaving Joseph, Mary and Jesus in peace.

The least likely of all the travelers was the one to do the most good because she didn’t lose hope. This Christmas, I pray that you will keep doing good… even if you don’t understand why or what good it is accomplishing. Do what you can with great hope that God will bless your efforts. Whether it is loving the unlovely, going the second mile, enduring ridicule, battling illness or the fog that has held you captive… keep on spinning that blanket of tender compassion and you never know what good will come of it.

Don’t lose hope. With God, all things are possible. Let his love flow through you this Christmas season as you hang on to hope.