"Silent Night"?

Silent night

Holy night

All is calm

All is bright...

Have you ever noticed how peaceful and calm Nativity Scenes often are? It may look like a sweet picture of Mary cradling her baby in her arms with Joseph close-by while a few snowflakes gently fall to the ground outside.

I hate to destroy this lovely scene, but can we be realistic for a minute here?

First of all, it does not snow in the Middle East...

Mary was likely not looking -- or even feeling, for that matter -- so Instagram-worthy. I mean, the girl did just go through a grueling labour with no pain medication! She had no comfortable or sanitary bed to give birth in. She was probably on top of a pile of hay, for crying out loud!

Maybe Joseph tried to make the woefully inadequate barn somewhat comfortable by shovelling animal droppings to the side and dusting out the horses' feeding trough so they could use it as a crib.

Can you imagine the thoughts that must have been racing through Mary's mind? Can the Son of God really be born in a place like this? Is this what the angel had in mind when he told me I would give birth to the Messiah?

What about what Joseph was thinking? I'm just a carpenter. What do I know about delivering a baby? There's plenty of hay for Mary to lay on, but how do I keep the animals from trying to get at it? How could God have chosen me for this? I can't even provide a comfortable place for Mary to have the baby. How will I be able to provide for her and the Son of God?

The “silent" night was pierced by a young mother's pain-filled cries, followed by the newborn King's cries. Take the shepherds in the fields as an example. Their silent night was disturbed by a multitude of angels filling the sky, praising God and announcing Christ's birth.

That night was anything but silent or calm.

Trusting God in the difficult times is often over-glamourized. We sometimes think that if we just trust God, everything will be just great, right? Not quite.

We may be in a similar place Mary and Joseph found themselves in that night. We may trust God but still find ourselves in a messy, smelly stable.

Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, "In this world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (NKJV).

Our comfort as Christ-followers is not that we won't go through trials and tribulations. Rather, it is that we have a loving Father Who will never leave our side and Whose grace is always sufficient for anything we go through. So, no matter where you find yourself - whether in the peace and quiet or the chaos - don't forget that you are never alone. You always have a Saviour, Friend, and Helper by your side.

Life will rarely be as peaceful as we hope it will be. But we have God's promise that He will never leave our side, make ways for us, and give us hope and joy.

Whatever calamity or struggles you’re facing this holiday season, never forget that the Creator of the universe loves you enough to not only be with in the middle of the mess, but to also help you through it.

Let’s lean on Him together.

-Olivia

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