I Heard the Bells

Christmas day may be my favourite day of the year. Its way better than my birthday, which always falls during student convention, so I get to spend it with a bunch of teenagers.

Vacations are fun but a lot of work for moms.

Valentines Day has way too many expectations.

So for me, Christmas it is.

My siblings all live far away, so the Christmases that we’re all together are extra special.

But this Christmas is different than every one before.  Its been a hard couple of months.  We’re trying to find new traditions, in a new church, with new people.  And I don’t even have it that hard.

There are sick people.  And dying people.  People struggling with thoughts of suicide.  Older people who will be alone.

There’s war and dying and starving children.

There is ISIS and Aleppo.

But we don’t have to pretend that everything is perfect to have a great Christmas.

In fact, Christmas may be even better if we feel.  Acknowledge that not everything is perfect.

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Sometimes the juxtaposition of Christmas and what’s happening in the world popping up on our news feed can leave us with the feeling of despair.  The realization that there is no peace on earth.  But Christmas is made for times like this.  Because Christmas is not really about peace on earth between people.  But of peace on earth in our hearts.

Because God came down.

And gave us the ability to have peace with God.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

You see, our hope is not in the present, but in the future.

In a time when God will make all things right. When we will spend eternity with Him.

No matter what’s going on in your life this Christmas, you can still have peace with Jesus.  The whole point of Christmas was not to take away our earthly pain, but to allow us to have peace with God and spend our eternity with Him.  We can continually look forward to that day when we get to heaven and its like Christmas everyday.