Yesterday we lit the Peace candle
for Advent, a topic we’ve been studying for several months here on Broken
Hearts.
But this time of year, it often
seems impossible to obtain or feel any kind of peace. My dental
hygienist and I were just discussing that this past week. Every year she hopes
to get ahead of the game and “be ready” early for Christmas. But this year
she’s once again lamenting her lateness and all of the things she still has
left to do.
And shoppers scurry (and often push)
through malls and then rush home with their presents, sometimes causing
accidents in their haste, or frustrating and screwing up traffic in their
text-driving multitasking.
Some corners of the world live in
constant upheaval wondering if a bomb may flatten their home and rob them of
loved ones. Prodigal children leave their parents heartbroken and subsisting on
happier memories. Recent family deaths or breakups leave survivors lonely,
anxious, grieve, or bewildered. I remember the year my dad died, just two weeks
before Christmas. The mood, in spite of our attempts to the contrary, was
somber.
Just how can someone have peace this
time of year? Really slow down, quiet his heart and mind, and let the heart and
mind thrive in a peaceful state?
There’s only one way to really have
and enjoy it and only One person who can deliver. And that Person is Jesus, the
Messiah; the Prince of Peace.
And it’s His candle we’ll light this
coming Sunday, Christmas Day. The Christ candle. The culmination of Hope, Love,
Joy and Peace. In a baby. But not just any baby. God in the flesh. Come to us.
Immanuel. Prince of Peace. When He came down from Heaven is when peace truly
entered the world. A centuries-old prophecy fulfilled.
As Betsy Arkema writes: “Becoming
human was not a twist of fate…, it was a choice. God chose to give up
everything—to become nothing.
“This child was a King. A King in a
dirty stable, wrapped in rags—but a King with a plan.
“This child would bring hope. Not just a wish, but the confidence
that God would win over evil.
“This child would bring love—a love
that would never be taken away, a love that is beyond our understanding.
“And this child would bring joy, for
he would deliver us.
“This child would bring peace, even
in the midst of great suffering and trials—a peace that assured his followers
that he is in control even if it feels likes nobody is.”
Are you feeling at peace right now?
Have you asked yourself why and explored all of the potential reasons? Are they
obvious to you? Wondering how you can have it?
Try praying. I know it sounds too
simple, but prayer—real God-beseeching prayer—is difficult. Slip away to a
quiet place—your prayer room, favorite chair, and outside spot. Hang up a “Do
Not Disturb” to keep out intruders. Put your baby down for a nap. Lay out your
prayer mat. And then—
1. Open your
Bible. Ask God to lead you to a passage that will speak directly to your heart.
Personalize the passage; nothing is so powerful as praying the Scriptures. Ask
God to give His peace that transcends all understanding.
2. Express
thanks to Him for your blessings—your family, your health, your memories, your
future hope in Him and eternity. His past faithfulness to you.
3. Then, be
watchful, tuned in to your heart. If turmoil and sadness and doubt threaten to
dismantle you, turn your burden over to Him. Lay it down at the cross and leave
it there. DON’T pick it up again. He knows what to do with it.
4. And don’t
feel guilty about lying down to take a rest. Listen to your body; it’s designed
to send out warning signals to tell you what it needs. Often our acute sense of
turmoil is simply too much stress and stimulation. Babies and toddlers aren’t
the only ones who can benefit from a nap!
Then rejoice on Sunday morning, for
the Light of the world has come into the world.
And rejoice! For He’s coming back!!
I’d you like to
read a fun Christmas story about how God works on His own timetable, for our
pleasure, even when things seem to be late, you’ll want to read my extra post
I’ll be putting up on Wednesday. It’s the short story “A Heavenly Timetable.”
An abbreviated version was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul’s recently
released book The Joy of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
____________________________________
So, until next Monday, may your week be
full of blessings that you receive and give, your heart be full of joy and
thankfulness, and your days be filled with laughter. Build a little heaven in
your life right now, and watch your heavenly garden grow!
Blessings,
Andrea
When the eyes of
the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right
here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer
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