# Living Psalm 25:1-10_Samantha Houser for December 1 (Firts Sunday in Advent)

God of HOPE,
don’t let me get tangled in the trap of shame,
don’t let the voices of hate turn down the volume on my truth.
Shame’s got no claim here, no weight
against the heartbeat I’ve anchored in you—
you, the pulse of my hope, the ground I stand on.

Lead me into the way of your expansive love,
show me what it means to walk boldly toward justice,
to live in what’s real and raw and true in our time of waiting.
And help me remember to return to you to be renewed in hope, every day.

Remind me (often) of the mercy you carry like breath,
the love that was here before time was spoken into being.
Remind me so that I have the ability to forget the wreckage I’ve dragged, 
the fumbles and the heavy baggage.
Remind me so that I have full understanding 
that you see me through that lens of love,
because you, God, you’re just that good.

You are so good, Holy Spirit of Hope,
and even when I’m lost or stumbling,
you’re there, whispering the way back.
You’re the one leading all who open their hearts,
teaching us the art of kindness, the beauty of grace.

Every path you walk beside us is stitched with love, laced with truth,
for all of us who want to live into this world you dreamed,
this world you’ve set in motion.