Daily Archives: December 22, 2011

Update

Peace on Earth

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From Jim – again.  (It’s nice to have some time off!)

This is the season when we say “Peace on Earth, goodwill to men”.

Heidi and I seem to be searching far and near for peace in this house. Case in point, last night as I was cleaning the kitchen, I noticed the kitchen lights above me vibrating severely after hearing loud crashes from the room above – the boys’ room.  Thanks to a new Nerf basketball hoop and ball they received as a gift, their room is now a half-court arena.  However, these boys are football players who, to my knowledge, never legitimately touched a basketball before.  So this game was more of a destroy-the-guy-with-the-ball-before-he-shoots kind of game. Today I have to spackle all nail pops in the ceiling…

As I was reflecting in the quietness of the morning on “peace”, I resolved that despite the craziness of life at times (especially living in a heavily trafficked suburb during Christmas-shopping season), I have no reason to complain – at all.  I dialed up CNN and glanced quickly at the top news stories:

Bahgdad bombings
North Korea instability after death of leader Kim-Jong-il
Egypt still in convulsions
Riots in DR Congo after election
Syria uprisings
And massive flooding in the Philippines.
And here I sit in a quiet house, quiet morning, cup of coffee by my side, peacefully reading Malachi prophesying about the coming of the Prince of Peace.
Lord, may I not take for granted that which you have provided. Material items set far, far aside, today I thank you for peace in my world for the moment.  I pray for those this Christmas season who will not experience such peace, those both near and far.  I pray that they hold fast to the Prince of Peace who delivers everyone from their circumstances.