Today Was Silent

Today was silent.

I had a quiet, calm morning.

My husband went to work before I got out of bed, so by the time I got up, the house was silent. I have no kids or pets and I don’t keep a fan running, so if Matt is at work, it’s quiet. I hear the sounds of the outdoors sometimes – birds, cars, dogs, the wind, and the waves – but not today. Outside the house was quiet, too. 

I got out of bed and began my regular morning routine, quietly. I grabbed the cup of coffee my husband lovingly brewed for me before he went to work. I opened my phone to the YouVersion Bible app to look at my plan for the day. I sat down with my blanket and my journal… 

All is calm. 

I lit a candle and opened the blinds to let the rising sun stream in. I plugged in my Christmas tree which added a soft, warm glow even with the light of the sun. The physical warmth of the sun with the ambient warmth of the candle and holiday lights…

All is bright. 

Silent, calm, and bright. It was a picturesque morning of the classic Christmas song “Silent Night.” 

Though I doubt the night those lyrics were written about was silent and calm! If I understand birth correctly, it is not quiet; not even the birth of Jesus!

We like to remember it that way because it’s the night the Prince of Peace came into the world. It’s hard to imagine peace during labor and delivery! Instead, it’s easier to find peace in moments of silence. It’s more comforting for us to remember the entry of Jesus into the world as a silent night because it’s not as believable that peace came from a chaotic, messy, loud birth. 

But since the beginning of Genesis God has been creating order and calm out of chaos. He’s been quieting the storms, calming the wind and the waves, and silencing doubt since the beginning. 

So whether you have a calm, quiet morning or a loud, busy morning, the miracle is that there can be peace in both. 

Today was silent. A quiet, calm, bright, and peaceful morning. A literal “dawn of redeeming grace.”