Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Just wait, the cold air is coming….. finally!  Thank goodness, because it seems odd to put up a Christmas tree in tee shirts and shorts.   It should be sweater weather when we hang wreaths on the door and stockings above the fireplace.  Plus, the heat from the logs should warm our souls instead of the air conditioning cooling our sweaty brows!

Frankly, life seems slightly turned upside down and wobbly, just like the weather.   Between the election that seemed to last for years and the distrust, disgust, and discord it provided, we all could use cooling off. 

What better time to take a break from the heat than now? 

 I hope that during your Thanksgiving dinner, there wasn’t an ounce of political feuding but pounds of pecan pie topped with a big dollop of peace.  

We desperately need peace within our hearts, and we need to be the ones to share it.  I am exhausted by those who want to spread as much turmoil and negativity as possible through social media and other outlets.  Worse, some feel no remorse for fueling the fires of hostility.   

We must refuse to enter the spirit of Christmas with disgruntled souls.  Christ was born to bring us comfort and peace, to redeem mankind from our sinful actions.  He came to give us a second chance to connect with Him by promoting kindness, forgiveness, and love.   It is counterintuitive to proclaim Christmas joy without promoting serenity. 

A calm washes over me each time I see snowflakes fall from the sky.   Lacy and delicate, they cascade to the ground, no two alike.   They remind me that God loves to wash peace over His people and clean them as white as snow.   However, we must ask Him for it.     

If we want peace on earth, it must begin with each and every one of us.  We are all unique, just like snowflakes.  Despite our differences, we can cover the ground harmoniously, like new-fallen snow.  Each of us, with our unique abilities and perspectives, has the power to make a significant difference in promoting peace and generosity.

  We are so human that we are pitiful.  No one can come close to being as perfect as Christ.  He performed miracles, hated hypocrisy, and didn’t gain power by greed or money.  He healed the sick, walked with the poor, and left judgment to God.  

In Christ’s final hours, despite enduring unspeakable torture, he held no bitterness in His heart.  Instead, he sought God’s forgiveness for those who caused him suffering.     

We know we cannot be perfect, but we can learn how to live from God’s perfect son.   We are given free will to make decisions for ourselves and our fellow humans.  This is the time of year we are to be reminded to use that will wisely.  

When my oldest daughter, Amy,  was four and went to a church preschool, the teacher called to tell me what had happened on the playground that morning.  

All the children were outside playing in the recreation area, which had swings, a slide, and a merry-go-round.  It was nearly winter, and a new student was introduced to the class.  He was a little black child entering a class of all-white students in the 1970s.  

During recess, the little boy tried to join the others on the merry-go-round, but when he did, the other kids immediately left him and went to the slide.  So, he strolled over to the swings to sit alone, understanding he wasn’t welcome.  

The teacher told the rest of the story, stating, “I saw the most remarkable occurrence.  Just as Amy began her walk with the others, she turned to look at the child alone on the swing.  It took her a moment, but then she turned around and ran to the swing to be with the her new friend.   When the others noticed Amy was not with them,  they found her playing and laughing with the little boy.  Then they all joined her.”  

When Amy came home, I asked her what had caused her to extend such kindness.  Her dark brown eyes looked straight into mine, and without hesitating, she said, “Jesus told me .”

From the mouths of mere babes and from the King of mankind, we know right from wrong, good from evil, and how to find the peace we all so desperately need.  But will we turn to notice?

Each of us, although different from another, can cover the ground in peace, like snowflakes. 

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

With God as our Father, brothers, all are we

Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.”*

We must try to give such a gift to God.

*Let There Be Peace on Earth” by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller