Peace

I step into my in-laws house where my kids and their cousins are playing their favorite game appropriately entitled "Monster".
Uncle Jon greets me with the words, "Welcome to chaos."
I smile and reply, "I just left peace." I was referring to the quiet house I had inhabited alone all day.

I willingly left that quiet house and entered into the cousin chaos because I happen to love those children.

I tell my husband, after another late night, that I just want to spend Christmas alone, in front of the fire doing a 24 hour advent. I want a silent night. Peace.

And my friend and I banter on the phone about consumerism and expectations and family combustion and she says, "This isn't what Christmas is about!"

And in the time it takes to open my mouth in reply, I have an epiphany.
And I say, "This is exactly what Christmas is about."

And it is. He left perfect peace and entered into our chaos. Truly, 7 screaming cousins hold nothing to a lost world full of lost people screaming in their lostness. The kind of peace I asked my husband for, is an artificial peace. It's a state of mind brought about by sedate children and advent candles.  That isn't the kind of peace He came to give.

He came to give us peace with God so that His desire for unity and peace would become our desire. So that we could extend to those who have hurt us. So that we could deeply care about those wounded. So that our desire for peace would be greater than our feelings, greater than our rights, greater than our pain.

So this Christmas, He is being born again in me.
And I greet Him with the words, "Welcome to chaos."

And He replies, "I am Peace."
Because Love always enters in.