I know the difficulties faced by our family in the past month have at times felt overwhelming and consuming. How like God to lay on my heart something to share with our adoptive moms group about finding rest in the midst of the chaos. I would need those words and that group of women supporting me more than I could have predicted.
And yet, the challenges we faced were quite small in comparison to what others have walked this year and continue to be faced with anew even this morning.
A thrill of hope. Can you feel it? In the midst of illness, death, difficulties, politics. It’s there for the taking. The birth of a baby, coming to save the world so we can live eternally.
I don’t like to put onto Mary what scripture doesn’t tell us, but I have to think of her in a stable, holding the light of the world. We perhaps cannot imagine worse circumstances or a less appropriate place for the Savior to be born. Yet, as far as we know, Mary doesn’t complain or expect anything greater for herself. When shepherds come praising and glorifying God Scripture tells us that Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Last night as I sat awake with my newborn son, I was praying for him and thinking of who he might grow to be. The circumstances of the birth of Hans were not what I had hoped for. Yet God saw us through and was gracious to us. We have much to be thankful for. Sorrow and difficulty will always be part of life on earth. But so will joy! We can find rest and peace even in our hardest days. I pray that each of you can search and find it as we prepare to celebrate Christmas tomorrow.
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