Yes, yes it’s very late (again!). I apologize.

ON PEACE

When Elisabeth finally (finally!) got pregnant, she had to deal with the discomforts of carrying a baby all the while her husband was struck mute. She said that her “reproach” was taken away, but it is hard to imagine that it was a very pleasant time.

Meanwhile, her young unmarried cousin, Mary, was also pregnant. More unpleasantness.

Mary was “highly favored” among women, but still forced to deal with a pregnancy and the inevitable gossip that surrounded that. Not to mention: travel and childbirth in less-than-ideal conditions. Not only was the birth in a stable, but Mary didn’t have her own mother, any sisters or cousins, any of her support structure except a new husband who probably had never even seen her naked. It sounds like an awkward, lonely way to deliver a child.

God sometimes has a funny way of blessing his favorites.

It isn’t with comfort, that’s obvious enough. It isn’t with a golden ticket to avoid social scandal. It isn’t with material goods, nor with respite from political strife, nor freedom from family troubles. He doesn’t immediately free His people from oppression, stop wars, or even step in to halt the slaughter of babies.

And yet the angels sang, “peace on earth.”

It seems clear enough that God’s peace looks nothing like what we would consider peace in a worldly sense.

But you know, if you pause to think about it, that you can feel peace anytime. And you know, if you pause to think about it, that peace can be completely divorced from external circumstances.

Here’s two quick ideas for finding peace this Christmastime. Warning: neither of these are exactly comfortable, fun, or necessarily easy.

* Practice forgiveness. Yes, of course forgive those who have clearly and obviously trespassed against you. But also, can we forgive the everyday things? Forgive the books for being unread. Forgive the dishes for being unwashed. Forgive the traffic for being too heavy, the stores for being too busy, the people who stop in the middle of an aisle with their cart blocking both directions, the New York Times for headlining only depressing news. Forgive Congress for being disappointing, forgive the noodles for being overcooked and mushy, forgive the car for being low on fuel, forgive the leftovers for spoiling in the fridge. This sounds silly, but consider how much annoyance and sadness that you’re carrying around for these things. Sure, some of them you might have prevented; you didn’t, and so you need to forgive yourself, too. Forgive them, and leave a space in your heart to experience the wonder, hope, joy that God rains down as we head into Christmas. Forgive this stuff, so you can fill yourself with the great and good that’s there for the taking.

* Wait. Try to find excuses to practice waiting, ten seconds at a time. When discomfort comes, wait an extra ten seconds before doing something about it. Just wait. When boredom comes, count to ten before switching to something new. When you drive somewhere by yourself, give yourself ten seconds to just sit in the car, doing nothing. Wait ten seconds before eating the food that’s set in front of you and everyone else is eating. Just practice waiting. As you practice waiting with these ten second gifts to yourself, start to note what happens in those tiny windows. What sorts of feelings bubble up? Maybe you’ll feel some anxiety at first, but that’ll pass. Maybe you’ll spend it counting down, but your desire to do that will fade, too. You’ll still eat, still get to the store, still get out of that uncomfortable or boring situation. And for ten seconds, you’re like Sisyphus as the stone rolls down the mountain: with a respite, a sense of relief, a feeling of peace before the world starts spinning again. If you’re paying attention, this is a space that God can fill, too. And whatever he fills it with, it comes wrapped in peace.

May your next week, as you prepare for Christmas, be filled with peace: ten seconds at a time, and one small act of forgiveness at a time.

Think to yourself: what brings you peace at Christmas time? And what do you need to forgive to start to feel peace in other parts of your life?

A couple of scriptures:

* John 14:27

* Hebrews 12:1

* Alma 38:8

I’m trying to do exactly what I said above and forgive myself for being so late with this post. It’s hard! But this is the way, you know. We’re all going to screw up; and we all need forgiveness from ourselves and from others. I hope that you can forgive me for being so lousy at this. And I do sincerely hope that this little essay thing is helpful to you as you prepare for Christmas.

I’m waiting for snow, but the days are still in the 50s most days. I grew up in San Diego, and thought that it was pretty special that I could ride my bike all the way up until Christmas as a kid. Well, I can still ride my bike here — and I live in the land of “the greatest snow on earth.” If there were any snow…

Also, no poem and no photos today. I’m choosing for done over perfect. I hope you can forgive that, too.

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