by Joe Dennis
Dec. 2, 2024
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
One of my favorite comedic bits is John Mulaney’s “Quicksand.” The comedian reminisces about his childhood and how he worried about things in life that are ridiculous in hindsight.
“I always thought that quicksand would be a much bigger problem than it turned out to be,” Mulaney said. “Because if you watched cartoons, quicksand is like the third biggest thing you have to worry about in adult life — right behind real sticks of dynamite and giant anvils falling on you from the sky.”
I was an anxious child. Although I did not share Mulaney’s concern over quicksand, I did worry excessively growing up, and I carried that anxiety into my young adulthood — to the point where it transformed into clinical depression. For the most part, my mental health issues are under control, but at times, the stress of work, the challenges of family, and the outcome of world events take their toll.
That happened to me a few weeks ago and lingered through yesterday. And what usually happens when I fall into a funk is I withdraw — from social gatherings, from those closest to me, and from God. Metaphorically, I was in quicksand.
But then something happened. I reluctantly attended church because I was responsible for managing the audiovisual for the service. In her sermon to kick off the Advent, Pastor Miki discussed the concept of Christian hope. “Hope is one of the distinguishing marks of the church,” Pastor Miki said, explaining the Advent theme of light.
“Where are we looking for light in this season? Use this season to turn to God, especially in the midst of darkness,” she said. “Seek out the source of hope, the source of light.”
Then, Pastor Miki said three words that rocked me: “Jesus never fails.”
I realized that over the past few months — as the external and internal pressure mounted — I put my faith in the wrong things. I put my faith in money, driving Uber on weekends to try to close a personal budget gap, only to see new expenses mounting, requiring more money. I put my faith in work, spending an inordinate amount of time on several projects, only to learn there was no funding to see it through. I put my faith in a political candidate, investing much personal energy and hope in her, only to be deflated after she lost.
But Jesus never loses. Jesus never fails. After hearing Pastor Miki’s sermon, I reflected on other overwhelming times in my life, and sure enough, by drawing closer to God, I became more at peace with myself. By reconnecting with my church family, I ended my social isolation. By putting my faith back in Jesus — the only true source of hope and light — my priorities instantly realigned. I’m out of the quicksand and back on the right path.
Prayer: God, when we struggle through dark times, it is easy for us to withdraw from our faith. But these are the times when we need our faith the most. This Advent help us remember that Jesus is the only true source of light and hope. Amen.
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