Opening Our Hearts to New Possibilities

 “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” Christopher Reeve 

When my daughter told me fifteen months ago that she was considering moving to Charlotte in North Carolina, I didn’t believe her. After all, this was my Miami girl. When we went to visit colleges for her older brother, she told me that she was not going away to college. She had no intention of living in the snow. She loved Miami, its Cuban culture, its weather, its people, and pretty much everything that Miami has to offer. Therefore, I never envisioned her leaving the city. She proved me wrong. Six months ago, she moved to Charlotte. Even though I was not happy because she was going to be 700 miles away from me, I was proud of her because she opened her heart to new possibilities.

Hope opens up our hearts to new possibilities. My family left their home country over 50 years ago because they had hope that they would find a better life elsewhere. It was that same hope that led my grandparents from Spain to Cuba in the 1920s. Hope also moved the Magi to leave their home country and follow a star in search of baby Jesus. 

I can understand why my grandparents left Spain. They had hope to find jobs and a better future in the Americas. My parents left Cuba with the hope to live in a free country. My daughter left Miami with the hope to be able to buy her first home at an affordable price. But what would move three men from the East to follow a star in search of an infant that had been promised to the people of Israel when they themselves were not Israelites?

This past Sunday, the priest shared in his homily that Christians started observing the feast of the Epiphany during the third century. At the time, only Easter was celebrated. Christmas did not become an official celebration until the end of the fourth century. The reason why Epiphany was so important in the early Christian church was because it represented the day that Jesus revealed Himself not just to the Israelites but also to the Gentiles. The Wise Men represented the Gentiles. In order for them to make this long trek, they must have been hopeful that this newborn baby was going to save not just the Israelites but the whole world. They opened up their hearts to this possibility, and they followed the star in order to worship the King of the Jews. 

As we start this new year, we can learn a lot from the Magi. They are known as the Wise Men because they were wise. They had studied and they knew what the prophets had foretold about the promise of a savior being born in Bethlehem. They were hopeful that this savior would come not just to save Israel but to redeem the whole world. So they traveled for days to worship Him. And they brought gifts with them, not cheap gifts that they bought on the way but treasures from their homelands. They had hope in their hearts that this Baby Boy was the biggest treasure of all, and they sought Him. They opened up their hearts to Him and now, we commemorate this event every year as the feast of the Epiphany. 

As we start this new year, let us imitate the Wise Men by opening our hearts to new possibilities. It may be moving to a new city, changing jobs or signing up for a Bible lesson. And as we take that first step with a new hope blooming in our hearts, we should ask God to guide us into making the right decision. The Magi did not set out in search of the newborn King on their own. God guided them in the entire journey. If we ask God for His help, He will guide us too.

We spent Christmas in Charlotte with my daughter, and I realized that she is no longer a Miami girl. She is now a Charlotte girl through and through. She has joined a book club where she has met other young ladies that have recently moved to Charlotte just like her. She found the cutest house in a quiet residential area. She has great neighbors that give her cookies for Christmas. She pulled her younger brother to Charlotte so now she has family nearby. She opened her heart to new possibilities with the hope that things would work out, and she is thriving. Even though I miss her tremendously, I am proud of her because she took the leap. I need to learn from her and open up my heart to see what new possibilities God has in store for me.

Copyright © 2022 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.