"All is Calm, All is Bright"

A week & a half ago, we experienced some pretty crazy hurricane-speed (100mph+) winds around here. WE didn’t really get too much damage, but many of the surrounding cities had power outages for days, trees falling on top of houses, school buses’ windows shattering merely from the wind speeds & houses de-roofed. Between several phone-calls checking on my family’s condition throughout the day & watching the news updates that night, I found myself a little anxious that night after I put the older two kids to bed. So as I nursed Bailey to sleep that night on the couch, in only the glow of our Christmas tree lights, the phrase came to my mind, “All is calm, All is bright.” And I couldn’t help but sing the lyrics aloud as a simple, tingling peace swept over my whole body. Isn’t it amazing how, even when chaos & calamity are rampant out in the world, we can feel that “heavenly peace” in our own homes?

And so, almost every night since that night, before I’ve put the kids to bed, we turn off all the other lights in the house besides the Christmas tree & we sing Christmas songs together. And even if we’re singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or something, it still is such a great way to end the day. Together & singing Christmas songs. What a spirit of peace it brings into our home. I’m hoping this can become a holiday tradition for us. Too bad we can‘t leave up the tree all year long…