Advent: Whispers of Peace

As I sat down this morning to write about Advent, a time to prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ, the phone rang. It was the school secretary calling to ask me to pick up my daughter. She apparently was ill. She was fine this morning at home, bubbling around after having a waffle for breakfast, playful even.

My day was to be quiet, contemplative, time spent writing and a few other simple tasks. One phone call and my schedule changed immediately. Funny how life does that. Schedules change, plans turn upside-down. I laughed at the irony as I closed my computer and left to rescue my daughter.

Life presents so many challenges to peace. The phone call from the doctor’s office confirming an unwanted diagnosis. Broken relationships. Loss. Financial distress. The list of difficulties threatening our peace goes on.

Even the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can spiral into a blur of exhausting activity, clouding our hearts and minds from experiencing the real blessings of Christmas.

Is it even possible to find peace in the midst of such struggle and busyness? It seems unlikely.

Yet peace is more than possible, it’s a reality – in God. The beauty of Christmas is found in that God himself was born in a quiet manger on a dark night long ago, to be with us. Immanuel – God with us.

It may sound cliché, but it begins in the heart. When we chose to bring our stressed and weary souls before God, He speaks His peace into us. We’re given the gift of dwelling in His rest, when we step out of our busyness and quiet ourselves before God. 

It’s no mistake God spoke to Elijah in a whisper. Not in the tearing wind, earthquake or fire, but a gentle whisper. Hearing a whisper requires coming to a place of quiet. To listen.

This Advent quiet yourself before God and let the Prince of Peace whisper His peace into your heart. With a restful soul, the eyes of our heart are opened to celebrate the wonder of Christmas in the simple and extraordinary gifts of the season.

“For to us a child is born,
To us a son is given,
And the government will be on his shoulders,
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.”
                                                              Isaiah 9:6-7