Divisions and Precisions

Holy Night

I'm sitting here listening to what is arguably my most favorite Christmas carol ever:

O come, O come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee

O, Israel

O come, Desire of Nations bind

In one the hearts of all mankind

Bid Thou our self-division cease

And be Thyself our King of Peace

Rejoice, rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee

O, Israel

I felt holiness outside tonight. It was there, in the air with the snow and the wind. Everything was quiet, but I could hear a church bell ringing off in the distance, and the wind blowing over the snow. There is snow, finally. After an unseasonable winter, it's snowed just enough to cover the grass. All day it came down in big, fluffy, picturesque flakes.

The sky outside is still a little bit cloudy, just enough of a break to show a half-moon through a tattered veil and to let a star peek through here and there. I stood out there as long as the wind would let me, and watched the sky and watched the lake.

This is a difficult Christmas for me. I'm being pulled in a lot of directions and trying to stay true to myself, even while I try (again) to figure out what 'true to myself' means. But tonight there was, at least in my little corner of the world, some peace. Heavenly peace, you might even say.

I wish the same for all of you, even if only for a moment. Merry Christmas.

Posted by Lisa at December 24, 2001 11:00 PM