December 15th, 2020
By Erika Davis
“Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright.” - Silent Night
Welcome to the busiest time of the year! If you’re anything like me, then it’s right around 11pm every night that you start to remember all the things you still need to do over the next few days. Between shopping, cooking, preparing the home, and attending whatever gatherings may be happening, sleeping feels like the last thing that needs to be done. The nights are anything but silent in my mind.
As a new mother, I have found that my nights look very different now than they looked in the past. Where previously my anxious thoughts would keep me up all night, I now have a little one who requires my attention and care, even when it’s 2am. Alongside the lack of silence in my mind, there’s also a lack of physical silence that is very new. However, these restless nights have given me a new opportunity to reflect.
Our nighttime moments have become chances for me to sit with God instead of fighting to sleep. From the time she was born, our calming music has been the album Peace by Bethel Music. As I sit and rock her, I often become overwhelmed with the lyrics, “Peace, be still.” I speak these words over her, but more and more often I feel God saying them to me.
While she cries, I pray for peace. While she fights sleep, I pray for peace. When she is content, I thank God for peace. Over and over again, I find myself talking to God about stillness and peace for her without realizing I never ask for it myself. I dwell in the busy thoughts, convinced I am just preparing and trying to make everyone happy. Caring for a newborn has made it even more difficult to finish tasks throughout the day, and the guilt of taking a break is too strong. I too often forget that this time of year is also for me as well.
Luke 2: 6-7, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
Mary was young when she had Jesus. As a soon-to-be married couple, she and Joseph were just beginning their journey as parents, just as Doug and I are. She gave birth in a barn, surrounded by animals and no family. She was far from home, and yet in those moments after He was born, I can’t help but imagine she was at peace. In those moments, nothing else mattered but her, her baby, and her God. How I would love to sit down with her and ask what went through her head. How was she able to trust God so completely when the world kept spinning around her? How did she know it was going to be okay?
The Christmas season easily devours every minute of December, and sometimes even more. This year, there may be less gatherings and physical celebrations, but there are still other tasks that require our attention. My goal is to not wait for the moments of peace, but to actively seek them out. I want to create moments where I’m either alone or with my little girl and God. I want to be like Mary and focus entirely on my new blessing and how great my God is in every moment.
I encourage you to make your moments of peace. Maybe it’s spending time in a devotional, or taking a moment to intentionally listen to the lyrics of a Christmas hymn. At night, when my thoughts would typically drift to the next day’s To-Do list, I will turn my mind to the moment and the peace that can overwhelm if I allow it.
I’m looking forward to my new type of silent nights.
“Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright.” - Silent Night
Welcome to the busiest time of the year! If you’re anything like me, then it’s right around 11pm every night that you start to remember all the things you still need to do over the next few days. Between shopping, cooking, preparing the home, and attending whatever gatherings may be happening, sleeping feels like the last thing that needs to be done. The nights are anything but silent in my mind.
As a new mother, I have found that my nights look very different now than they looked in the past. Where previously my anxious thoughts would keep me up all night, I now have a little one who requires my attention and care, even when it’s 2am. Alongside the lack of silence in my mind, there’s also a lack of physical silence that is very new. However, these restless nights have given me a new opportunity to reflect.
Our nighttime moments have become chances for me to sit with God instead of fighting to sleep. From the time she was born, our calming music has been the album Peace by Bethel Music. As I sit and rock her, I often become overwhelmed with the lyrics, “Peace, be still.” I speak these words over her, but more and more often I feel God saying them to me.
While she cries, I pray for peace. While she fights sleep, I pray for peace. When she is content, I thank God for peace. Over and over again, I find myself talking to God about stillness and peace for her without realizing I never ask for it myself. I dwell in the busy thoughts, convinced I am just preparing and trying to make everyone happy. Caring for a newborn has made it even more difficult to finish tasks throughout the day, and the guilt of taking a break is too strong. I too often forget that this time of year is also for me as well.
Luke 2: 6-7, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
Mary was young when she had Jesus. As a soon-to-be married couple, she and Joseph were just beginning their journey as parents, just as Doug and I are. She gave birth in a barn, surrounded by animals and no family. She was far from home, and yet in those moments after He was born, I can’t help but imagine she was at peace. In those moments, nothing else mattered but her, her baby, and her God. How I would love to sit down with her and ask what went through her head. How was she able to trust God so completely when the world kept spinning around her? How did she know it was going to be okay?
The Christmas season easily devours every minute of December, and sometimes even more. This year, there may be less gatherings and physical celebrations, but there are still other tasks that require our attention. My goal is to not wait for the moments of peace, but to actively seek them out. I want to create moments where I’m either alone or with my little girl and God. I want to be like Mary and focus entirely on my new blessing and how great my God is in every moment.
I encourage you to make your moments of peace. Maybe it’s spending time in a devotional, or taking a moment to intentionally listen to the lyrics of a Christmas hymn. At night, when my thoughts would typically drift to the next day’s To-Do list, I will turn my mind to the moment and the peace that can overwhelm if I allow it.
I’m looking forward to my new type of silent nights.
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