December 7, 2020

Photo Credit: Heather Rushton

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.   Psalm 29:11

 “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say

  It is well, it is well, with my soul.”     -Horatio Spafford

 I light up when anyone mentions Christmas.  It’s my “happy place” and I just love all the tasks that come with preparing to celebrate.  I can stretch decorating out for days.  Nothing beats the satisfaction I get from planning what we’ll eat, what we’ll give, and what we’ll do.  It wasn’t always like that.   

 My first Christmas in Canada was way up North.  It was dark and it was cold.  Everything was foreign and I was the one who didn’t belong. I can remember sitting alone one evening, in a tiny apartment on the bad side of town, staring at the Christmas tree and wondering if the future I had planned was worth the loneliness in that moment.  I can still hear myself saying, “It will be alright, it will be alright,” over and over again.

 It’s what I tell my children when they curl up for comfort after a tough day.  It’s what I tell my colleagues when we’re working to a deadline.  It’s what I tell myself when my day becomes too busy to catch a breath.  It doesn’t matter if this moment is hard; down the road, it will be alright.  Focus on the future.

 Our office recently went through a whole lot of changes.  It wasn’t easy.  Everyone had to work together to get through the initial hiccups.  A few weeks ago, I was about to remind people that it would all be okay soon, they just had to hang in a little longer.  I looked around, saw that the new systems were working smoothly, and realized that the future we were holding on for, had arrived.

 When I am quiet in God’s presence, it’s something similar.  There is no need to merely tolerate the present while waiting for the future.  There is no need to strive for better. When I focus on God, I have peace in, and with, the present. When I focus on His love, I no longer need to say, “It will be alright” because I know that it already is.

 Prayer: Father, it’s so easy to overlook the present while we’re working towards something in the future.  As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, teach us to dwell in Your presence so that we may find peace, no matter what is happening around us. 

Daleen van Dyk is a proud Mom of two busy teenagers.  She knows how precious peaceful moments can be!  She’s found her place to put down roots, here in the Valley.