A white Christmas. It snowed for a good part of the day yesterday here in my part of Virginia, and blanketed the city within a matter of hours. We were not expecting any snow—in fact, for weeks it has been unseasonably warm. The snow caught us off guard, but what a gift! God’s reminder to us that He is full of wondrous surprises and kindnesses. The greatest kindness, of course, was the precious baby He sent to us on Christmas morning. I’m struck that anyone would not be awed by that tender sacrifice. As I watched my children opening presents this morning—they have reached the age where they don’t just tear through mindlessly, but instead take time to watch each other, and offer thanks for the thoughtfulness of their siblings—I was again stunned by God’s gift. That God loves us so much that He was willing to give us His own child. That is something mighty, indeed, as every parent knows.
Who doesn’t love a gentle white Christmas, when the roads melt within hours, allowing us to visit family and friends, but leaving that beautiful covering to bless us for the holiday. As the world is in chaos, our nation on the precipice of disaster, and courage and principle seem to be fleeting commodities among our leaders, let’s just take a moment to take a deep breath and remember Who is in charge. He loves us, and is continually blessing us with His tender mercies. He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us, and our children, a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11—my variation). I’m going to rest in that knowledge, and get up tomorrow ready to take the challenges on anew, sharing the Good News along the way. In His name. Merry Christmas.
