Day Three - The Passing of Peace

Three Down - Two to go... BLOG: So, what's your favorite Christmas song? Have you ever listened to the lyrics of Oh Holy Night? No, I mean REALLY listened to them. Soaked them in like you were listening to poetry? Actually, it is poetry. The song originally was a poem written by a seller of wine in 1847. I hadn't truly listened to the words until a few years ago. But for some reason, one night I heard them as if I had never heard them before......it truly became my favorite Christmas song. The words melted my heart.

One of the the lines in particular has spoken to my spirit this year: "His law is love and His gospel is peace." This past year, I have experienced war from the sidelines. I have cried with the orphans from rebellious murder. I have held the hands of mothers who have lost child after child. I have had the utter and humbling privilege of looking into the eyes of women who have been war-raped to tell them they are beautiful in His sight. I have seen the aftermath of a war like no other, and I have understood the needed sustenance of peace. I have seen things this year that I have not and can not understand........and I am thankful for a peace that passes my lack of understanding.

"His Law Is Love and His Gospel Is Peace."

Peace. Gift number three. One of my favorite sayings is this: "Peace is not to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It is to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." If my clients have heard this once, they have heard it fourteen times. It's funny - regardless of the reason they walk through that door -they all (we all) are searching for the same thing.

To find a peace that supersedes our attempts to reason or to understand and a love that is bigger than our pain.... You see, His birth was so much more than a birth of a Savior. With that birth ignited spiritual gifts that we could know no other way. And it all happened....

One Holy Night:

Lyrics below. Soak them in:

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O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

All My Love - All His Peace..... b