Peace

What a wonderful day we had- up early watching the kids open their presents. I don't understand how every year we say we won't do as much and every year it seems bigger- Good gravy. Ok, now don't faint when you hear this, but Abbi and Austin got cell phones. Yes, I know full well what I said- and I did mean it. I caved. I caved in a moment of weakness. But it was so much fun watching them find the phones. Tim and I called them! We put them in their stockings, and when they were done opening their gifts we pretended we were calling the grandparents, and we called their phones. So the stockings started to ring- Oh it was so fun. Their faces were so confused, then they realized what was happening, jumped on the couch and stared riffling thru their stockings. They almost cried. Remember that feeling of crying when you got something you wanted so much but really thought it wasn't going to happen so you gave up hope of getting it and then you did. I love that feeling.

Peace and hope. Peace between those two doesn't happen often, but they smiled, laughed and hugged at that moment. A moment of peace.

Jesus wants us to have that feeling always. Peace in our hearts because we already know the end of our story, it's the chapters we aren't sure about, that are written each day, each struggle, each milestone. But God does know our story, and he wants us to live it out loud, I am sure of it. God remained full of hope and peace as he watched his child being born, in a barn, as he slept in a cow feeder. As Mary nursed him as a human baby God knew the end of His story. God knew the torture his own son would have to endure, and he watched and waited. Jesus grew, never sinned, was both man and God. His Father, our Father, watched his own son die on a cross, beaten, but not broken. He let his son die for me. Me, who has sinned so much, who will continue to just like we all will. He died for you, even though you may be right in the middle of your 'big' sin. He watched his son die for us so that He could bring hope and peace into our lives.

I may not always have peace, but I didn't loose hope. I had lots of questions about what was going to happen, but never lost hope.

What's my point? Oh I don't know. It's late and I'm tired... I think the point is that no matter what we face, no matter how small or large we think it is, God cares. He cares enough about us that he sent his own baby son to earth to take on our sins and to die for our forgiveness. That's a lot of care. That's a lot of love. And as I've said before, if He can love me that much I can love on also. Just when I thought I couldn't hold on another moment God sent something or someone to me to help me thru. God gave me that lost hope, that hope that brings tears to your eyes when you find out you were going to get the gift the whole time. My heart soars.

I feel much peace and hope today. I may not tomorrow, I may not always, but at this moment I do. What is so wonderful is that God offers it to me each day, all I have to do is receive it. The same goes for you.

Merry Christmas.

Vicki