Silent Night

December 24, 2023
Devotional by: Lori Hume

Our family especially enjoys our Christmas Eve traditions. After staying up later than we ever anticipate the night before, decorating loads of sugar cookies for our Christmas Eve gathering of neighbors, in the afternoon, we enjoy the heartwarming cacophony of clinking glasses, conversation, laughter and Christmas music. We end things just in time to arrive early enough at church knowing the pews will be especially cozy, fuller than usual with all the visiting family members.  The candles are distributed, the lights dimmed, all are quiet, the piano begins playing, the flame is passed from candle to candle, and we sing Silent Night. The sanctuary is glowing and our hearts are glowing. We depart feeling exceptionally grateful not only to be celebrating the momentous occasion of the birth of Christ, but to be celebrating it together.  Upon returning home from church, we’ll change into our matching pajamas for the family Christmas photo and dish up the Chinese takeaway that we just picked up from Happy China.  Then, with the fire roaring in the fireplace and Christmas carols playing, as is our Norwegian tradition, finally, we open our presents on Christmas Eve. It is such a joyful day… and then… there’s Christmas Day!

This Christmas will certainly be different for us. We’re excited to be spending Christmas with all our children and grandchildren in Europe! It’ll make my heart so happy to have us all together. Having said that, as we get older, each year seems to be different from the year before.  I know change can be awesome, but I also know change can be hard. Life is full of challenges and challenges can be hard. I think back to that lovely, peaceful, cozy moment while we’re singing Silent Night and passing that flame… everything seems calm and bright, clear and right… in that moment.  I try to remember that feeling when those hints of anxiety, doubt or uneasiness sneak in. God knows my heart better than I do. He has a plan. That’s the calm and bright I’m talking about!