“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.” (2 Samuel 22:3, 13, 14, 20 NIV)
“Whenever possible, we wait to put up our tree on the morning of Christmas Eve. This year, December 24th falls on the fourth Sunday of Advent, entailing morning services and two Christmas Eve masses for those singing in the choir. Clearly, that won’t be the best day to add in decorating a Christmas tree, so we are dedicating Saturday to the task. Task is not the exact word, although labor is involved. Let’s just say that my ideal of being the matriarch of a Victorian family where the housekeeper and butler dress the tree, then usher us into the parlor at twilight to find a roaring fire and real candles sparkling on its perfectly spaced branches . . . well, that is not how our tree-decorating day will go. In fact, if you want to witness the exact opposite of that scenario, come by Saturday and pull up a chair.
“We have a full house this Christmas, to my surprise and delight. This means the house will ring with joy and chaotic squabbling from closely knit grandkids aged 10, 9, and 8. Do you know how many forty-second long episodes of stupid jealousy followed by ten minutes of adorable reconciliation can take place any given day with that combination? There will be constant cooking, dishwashing, and intermittent attacks with the vacuum cleaner, if I can push enough stuff out of the way. We won’t have a White Christmas, but we will have vacuum bags filled with dust, dried grass, lego pieces, tops to mini-gel pens, and mangled hair bobs.
“Of course, [no gifts are] wrapped. In fact, due to a lamentable condition that everyone in my family accepts by now, I always forget where some of the gifts have been hidden. My mother did this same thing, hiding gifts so cleverly that it usually took until February before she found them all. Such behavior may not be embedded genetically, but it does get passed on. At least, unlike her, I can print images of the missing items and present them, fully wrapped, mitigating at least some of the groans…
“May I add my voice to those wishing you and yours a smooth sail this Christmas? If you, as we, will be surrounded by squealing voices and family chaos, let us pause to remember how lucky we are to have a family, challenges and all. If you are struggling this season, suffering separation from others, worrying about loved ones in the line of fire, or tearfully recalling those who have gone before, may I send a quiet prayer for you to feel the cloak of comfort warming your shoulders, be it only for a moment.
“How desperately the light of Christmas is needed this year! Yes, it is needed every year, but this Christmas marks a particularly dark time. The light that lies inside each of us needs to glow as brightly as we can kindle it. Let there be chances for us to offer the flame of that candle, brightening the path for those longing for comfort.” – Dr. Carol Reynolds*
“The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.” (Proverbs 13:9 NIV)
“A man’s spirit is the lamp of the Lord. It illuminates the depths of his heart.” (Proverbs 20:27 EHV)
“I am the light that shines through the cosmos; if you walk with Me, you will thrive in the nourishing light that gives life and will not know darkness.” (John 8:12 VOICE)
God,
Thank you for bringing us to Christmas Eve this year. Thank you for being our Rock, Fortress, Deliver, Redeemer, Shied, and our Most High. Thank you for your Word and your Hope that come with this season, especially when it seems the world is so dark with wickedness and evil, hopelessness and despair, grief, depression and fear. We know that you, Lord Jesus, are the Light of the World, and we pray your bright Light will be seen through the hearts, words, and actions of your Children. Where there are squealing voices and family chaos over the next few days, help us remember that our families are blessings. Where there is separation from loved ones, anxiety over safety of those far from us, and grief for those lost this year, may the comfort of your Presence be upon them. Help us to thrive in your nourishing Light that gives life. Glory to God in the highest, and may goodwill, favor, blessing, protection, provision, and deep and abiding Shalom Peace be upon your people, we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14 KJ21)
[*Story copied from https://professorcarol.com/2023/12/21/blessings-of-a-chaotic-christmas/.]