PEACE AMIDST THE CHAOS
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One of my favourite Christmas carols is Silent Night (the other is O Holy Night sung by my dear hubby...get the album here!!) If you go to church on Christmas Eve, there is a pretty big chance that you will end up singing this.
My favourite moment from our Christmas Eve service last year was singing Silent Night by candlelight. Working in a church, Christmas is always a crazy time and for my role, Christmas Eve is always go-go-go. Last year I was around 16 weeks pregnant and I remember experiencing some anxiety and fears that something potentially was wrong. I remember trying so hard to keep it all together but inside I was a basket case.
I remember grabbing James right before he had to go on stage to play and making him pray for us and the little one growing inside. I felt better after prayer but was still holding onto all the anxiety and fear.
But then comes the time to sing Silent Night. Like magic, the lights come down and 1200 candlelights appear. The image alone could bring you to tears. And then we began singing...
Silent Night , Holy Night.
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin, mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild.
Sleep in Heavenly peace.
Sleep in Heavenly peace.
In that moment, his Heavenly peace came upon me. I couldn't do anything about the situation but I could trust him. I could choose peace amidst the chaos.
It gets me thinking about Mary. Nothing about her situation was peaceful. Donkey ride at 9 months pregnant, about to give birth and there is no room at the inn, giving birth in a barn/cave and then laying your baby in a feeding trough with animals around yet I can't help but feel peace when I read this line in the gospel of Luke, "They (the shepherds) hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in the manger." In all of this, I see God showing us that his peace can and will show up in the hardest of situations.
God's gift to the world.... Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, the prince of peace. I love the prophecy of Christ in Luke 1:78-79...
"Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace."
As I went to sleep that Christmas Eve, I slept in Heavenly peace. I didn't know what was happening in my womb but I knew God was at work and I could trust him.
I made this print for Luca's room and I have been praying/singing Silent Night over him for awhile now. My prayer for him (and you and me!) is that he would sleep in heavenly peace no matter the situations around him. Life can be crazy, chaotic and sometimes extremely hard but I want him to know that there is a God who loves him, and is at work, even when he can't see it.
DOWNLOAD ALL IS CALM HERE
DOWNLOAD SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE HERE
So whatever your circumstance may be, my prayer for you is that the peace of Christ would meet you amidst the chaos. Things may be crazy but hold on to Him. He is faithful, he is at work and he loves you.
and ps. everything worked out with Luca, I had some fears that I was leaking some fluid (and it could have been happening) but there was nothing I could do that early on except trust in God...thankfully everything seemed okay and at 39.5 weeks I started leaking again, a small tear was found and at 40 weeks, out came Luca! (Read Luca's full birth story here!)
XO,
Laura
