We had my sister and Adam over for the day yesterday. We cooked supper together, laughed, played with the kids, went for a walk in the wind. We entered that late-day chaos of tiny children – you know what I mean! My sister scrubbed the kitchen after supper, Adam was picking up, I was bathing Joe, Brian was bathing Anne….giggles and protests and diapers and baby lotion and jammies and crumbs and dish soap and toys. It was game on! Mans and Ad left. We read stories to our tinies and tucked Annie into bed. We picked up the rest of the house. It was cold and dark outside. The Christmas tree lights were on. The main, glaring lights were off in the house now that tiny children were in bed.
Everything felt….hushed and holy all of a sudden. We paused in our daily life to tend to our souls and the greatest relationship of our life.
We curled up on the couch. I was breastfeeding Joseph. He was gulping and gurgling and groaning like he’d never eaten in his life, poor chap.
We live in a tiny place (have I mentioned that before?). So no coffee table. No room for the wreath of Advent. So we just have five candles that we arrange in a loose wreath configuration. We dragged Anne’s high chair over in front of the couch. And lit the candles. It might not be a traditional altar but we liked it. It worked.
It seemed to symbolise our life right now – the sacred in the midst of the mundane.
Brian lit the first candle, Hope, and we prayed the prayers of Advent. My heart quieted. My muscles unfurled. The tension left me. I exhaled. This – this time set aside to focus and commune with Christ – gives me strength and life.
He lit the second candle for Peace. I burped Joseph and switched him to the other side. He prayed the second Sunday prayers. We read Scripture about our soon coming brother-King-Saviour-Redeemer.
I was struck by the passages for peace that spoke about about a time when all wars cease, when even military training ends for peace.
He’ll show us the way he works
so we can live the way we’re made.”
…He’ll settle things fairly between nations.
He’ll make things right between many peoples.
They’ll turn their swords into shovels,
their spears into hoes.
No more will nation fight nation;
they won’t play war anymore.
(Isaiah 2:3-5)
In a world of war and striving, terrorism and fear, what a message of hope this is for us! We sat in silence for a while, contemplating this, praying that our lives would reflect the heart of Christ and the peace of God. Peace between God and man, peace in one’s own heart, peace in one’s relationships and peace between nations. We prayed the Our Father. We prayed the Compline service for the evening.
We joined in the cry of the church: Even so, come, Lord Jesus! We held hands quietly in the middle of the couch, watching the candles flicker.
