Christmas Cheer...

It means climbing into the attic and through the garage to retrieve trees, wreaths, lights, greens, linens, bins and bins of stuff, candles, ornaments (and more ornaments), and letting it all explode all over the house.

Then comes the process of setting up the tree—spraying for dust, straightening the branches, and putting on the lights.

This year, since the kids had already gone back to school, most of the heavy lifting fell to me and then Leigh-Ann did all the setup.

Even though every year I try to get out of it, I couldn’t this time. But it turned into a nice date as we set up the tree together and then Leigh-Ann worked her magic to finish the rest. And by the end of three days of Leigh-Ann working harder than Santa and his elves?

Perfection.

At night, looking at the lights twinkling and everything set so nice, it feels incredibly peaceful. But before the peace came the mess—the chaos, the hopelessness of boxes, lights, and tangle after tangle of Christmas magic waiting to find its place.

Isn’t that the way peace often works? It doesn’t come in the absence of chaos, but through it.

This Sunday, we continue our sermon series “Advent in Isaiah” by exploring the topic of peace through Isaiah 11:1-11. Right into the chaos and darkness of Israel’s situation, they were promised a Messiah—a Branch from the root of Jesse—who would bring peace. This promise came in a time of uncertainty, brokenness, and fear, yet it pointed to hope. And it still points to hope for us today.

I pray that the words from Isaiah 11 will bring you encouragement and hope this most wonderful time of the year. Whether you’re still in the process of setting up for Christmas (good luck) or simply navigating the chaos of life, may you find peace in the promise of the Messiah.

See you on Sunday!

Troy