On the morning of 4th December 2025, I found myself sitting in a small café inside a hospital. Hospitals have a unique way of stripping life down to its rawest truth—here, nobody pretends. Every corridor carries stories; every waiting area holds a mixture of fear, longing, grief, and sometimes, relief.
As I sat there, I heard the quiet sobs of a woman at the next table. She was informing her workplace about a sudden diagnosis—a Stage 3 cancer report. Her voice shook as she tried to remain composed, but tears betrayed the weight of the news.
And just like that, the entire atmosphere shifted. In one moment, the café became a sanctuary… and a classroom.
It was a sobering reminder that life is incredibly fragile. One moment you are well, walking freely, planning for the weekend—and the next, your world tilts because of a single sentence on a doctor’s report.
C. S. Lewis once wrote, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.”
And there, in the middle of a hospital café, pain was shouting—not only in her life, but as a reminder to mine.
The Grace of Ordinary Things…
Moments like these slow us down. They force us to notice the blessings we rush past daily—the breath in our lungs, the ability to move, to see, to sit and sip a warm cup of coffee, to have family, to have a meal, to be alive.
Life is filled with tiny miracles we no longer recognize because they’ve become familiar.
G. K. Chesterton once said, “The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.”
When someone else’s world collapses beside you, it awakens your sense of wonder again.
But then comes the question:
- Can we remain thankful when life is not kind?
- Can we praise when life hands us something we never prayed for?
- Can we choose gratitude when everything feels uncertain?
These questions are not theoretical. They are personal.
Recently, our family faced yet another unexpected financial hit—hundreds of dollars in additional costs because of a change in my daughter’s exam schedule. Before that, more repairs, more fees, more bills. Just when stability seemed near, something else would break or shift.
And in those moments, the conversation in my heart sounded familiar: “Why now? Why again? Why this?”
These Are the Places That Shape Us…
Life has taught me that what we often call interruptions, God calls formation.
These unpredictable events—diagnoses, disappointments, delays, losses, financial strain—are not permanent destinations. They are shaping rooms. Training grounds. Refining fires.
A.W. Tozer once observed, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”
Not because God delights in our pain—He doesn’t. But because deep places shape deep people.
We don’t get to choose many of the events that unfold in our lives…
But we can choose what kind of person we become through them.
And somehow, beyond our understanding, God uses all these moments to prepare us for His assignment—to make us carriers of His presence, His compassion, His strength, and His hope.
As we reflect on what 2025 has been so far—its joys and sorrows, its surprises and burdens—remember this:
Life’s events are not designed to break you; they are designed to build you.
Every unexpected moment is leading you somewhere. And that “somewhere” is Hope.
When Hope Came Wrapped in Cloth…
In this season, our hearts return to a powerful prophecy:
“For unto us a Child is born… and the government will be upon His shoulder.” — Isaiah 9:6
Think about that. The hope of the world arrived not in a palace, but in a manger.
Not wrapped in silk, but in swaddling cloths.
Not with trumpets, but with the quiet cry of a newborn.
Max Lucado beautifully wrote, “Because of Bethlehem, we know God is near.”
Hope did not come as a warrior.
Hope came as a Child.
And yet, this Child carried the authority of heaven.
This Child carried the weight of the world. This Child carried us.
When Life Feels Fragile, Let Hope Speak Louder…
If you find yourself today in a place of uncertainty —
a hospital waiting room,
a financial burden,
a painful diagnosis,
a situation you can’t control,
a season you can’t explain…
Remember this:
Jesus did not come only to save us from sin.
He came to walk with us through life.
Corrie ten Boom once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
The same God who came in weakness now strengthens you in your weakness.
The same Christ who carried the government of the world carries the weight of your heart.
The same Hope that arrived in Bethlehem still arrives in your everyday moments.
Life may be fragile, but hope is not.
Life may be unpredictable, but God is not.
Life may surprise us, but God never panics.
And He is with you—even here, even now.
Reflection:
1. What moment in your life recently reminded you of how fragile and precious life truly is?
2. Where have you struggled to be thankful in the midst of pain, delay, or uncertainty—and what might God be forming in you through it?
3. How does the reminder of Jesus—the Child born in Bethlehem—speak hope into the situation you’re facing right now?
4. What is one area of your life where God is inviting you to trust Him a little deeper and hope a little stronger?
Let’s Pray This Together:
Dear Lord Jesus,
In the fragile moments of life, remind me that You are near. When uncertainty rises, steady my heart with Your peace. Teach me to be grateful even when the path is unclear, and help me see Your hope shining in every season. Hold my hand, strengthen my faith, and lead me forward with courage. Thank You for being my constant, my comfort, and my hope. In Jesus Christ name I pray, Amen.
