“The world is your snowball, see how it grows / That's how it goes whenever it snows / The world is your snowball just for a song / Get out and roll it along”
~ ”Marshmallow Word” by Francesca Battistelli (Yes, I know she’s not the original artist but I heard her version first…)

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs by one of my favorite artists. The whole song is about snowfall and the memories of a snow-day, where the whole world seems to stop, and your only job is to enjoy the world around you. Now, I know not all of us get to experience a snow-day playing in snow up to your ears, but I think we can all appreciate the sentiment.

I remember one snow day when I was a child, after everyone else had gone inside I stayed out for a bit longer. I was dressed in my snow gear, my nose frozen, laying on a mound of shoveled snow, staring up at the clear blue sky. I remember thinking, why is it so quiet? It did not make sense to me. I grew up a block away from Highway 71 and there was always some sort of noise. But it was as if the snow falling put the whole world to sleep- it was as quite as a mouse. It was… peaceful. 

When I imagine the peace that comes with being in right relationship with God, I imagine it feels like I felt that day- the whole world could be happening all around, but you hear nothing but God’s creation, nothing except the exact thing God wants you to hear.  I can’t help but think, maybe that is part of what the peace we celebrate on this fourth Sunday of Advent is; a peace that means we are with God and God alone, just being together.

I think about those moments where I have seen new parents just stare into the face of their child. I think about how Mary and Joseph had that moment too, but they were staring into the face of their Savior, King, and Creator. But none of the ways they defined God or who Jesus was mattered in that moment. All that mattered is that they were together.

I pray that in this advent season, you find at least one moment of true peace. For those of you who are in a place of life that makes this peace extremely difficult to feel, I encourage you to join in the Blue Christmas service on Tuesday night at 7 pm, both in person and online. A service of healing and hope that is designed to help bring about peace. And as we gather on Christmas Eve at 7 pm, both in person and online, to celebrate the birth of Jesus I pray that you can find a renewed peace that comes from being with God.

Blessings friends,
Pastor Nicole