I sat upright instantly, startled awake by the sound of the wind-hurled rain hitting the windows so hard I thought they might break. Last night’s storm seemed to echo the chaos that I and many others have been experiencing this year. It was loud and disorienting, as if determined to disrupt the calm quiet of night.
Today I was reminded that no storm lasts forever. As Isaiah and I stepped onto the sand to join in communion with others in celebration of Jesus’s birth, this is the sky that greeted us. Its beauty would not be ignored, calling us to keep our gaze toward the Prince of Peace. The One who came not to condemn, but to save – not to point fingers but to welcome with open arms. The One who invites us to trade confusion for clarity.
These gifts of peace and clarity are for you and I. They tell of a Savior who never promised an absence of storms, but assures His faithful presence in the midst of them.
This is Christmas. This is Jesus, the greatest gift the world has ever known.
Carrie Joy(ful) 