Christmas Day Reflection

Christmas Day Reflection

The Greatest Gift Is Peace

On this Christmas Day my reflection is simple and clear. In this season of gift giving the greatest gift is Jesus. He is the one who calms the storms, quiets the uncertainty, and invites us into peace. His birth brought love, freedom, and joy into the world, and each of us is given the choice of how we will live in response to that gift.

We can lean into Him, into the peace and love He offers, or we can choose to play God. We can circle the same mountain again and again, trying to control outcomes, building a life on our own perceptions and power. Today I was reminded how different those two paths feel.

This morning I was deeply grateful to sit under the same roof with Barbi and Bella. Watching the joy on their faces as they opened gifts, and seeing their joy as I opened mine, grounded me. Gifts are wonderful, but the true gift was simply being together. I know there are many who did not get that today. Some are grieving loved ones who are no longer here. Some feel isolated or alone. Holding that truth softened my heart.

Barbi shared something powerful today. When fear begins to rise and faith feels distant because we are focused on what is missing, the practice is simple. Start speaking out what you are grateful for. Shift your attention from bitterness to blessing. That reminder stayed with me.

Bella was grateful for her gifts, and in the middle of that gratitude I had an honest moment with myself. A moment of resentment and scarcity crept in. I remembered Christmas mornings when she was little. Her first bike. The wide eyed joy. The pure enthusiasm of a five year old on Christmas morning. And I noticed the difference now that she is sixteen. She is still grateful, but it looks different.

For a brief moment I mourned what was instead of fully embracing who she is now. I felt lack instead of abundance. And then I was immediately corrected in my heart. I thought of a close friend who lost his daughter in a tragic accident. He does not have his child with him this Christmas. That truth brought me back to gratitude quickly and gently.

I have my daughter. I have my wife. I have today.

I am grateful for Barbi. For her love. For her forgiveness. For staying when she had every reason to leave years ago. Her faith, trust, and grace gave me hope when I did not deserve it. I am grateful for Bella and the gift of being her dad. I am grateful for new life, forgiveness, joy, and peace that Jesus has given me.

Prayer changes things. Sometimes not by fixing circumstances, but by stilling the heart. When I am still and remember that God is in control, I can see more clearly. Gratitude begins to stack. Day by day. Moment by moment.

As time moves quickly and our days on this earth pass, I am reminded to bring my focus back to the cross. It was there that fear and death were defeated. Because of that, peace and eternal life are available to us. By faith we are set free. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.

We are given opportunities each day to renew our minds, as Romans 12 teaches us, to not be conformed to the mindset of the world. The world teaches scarcity, comparison, envy, and fear. Today I choose gratitude. Gratitude for the birth of Jesus. Gratitude for family. Gratitude for what I have, not bitterness for what I do not.

I miss my mom deeply, but I am grateful for the years I had with her. I am grateful that my dad was able to visit this Christmas and Thanksgiving. I am grateful for family, for friends, and for those who have poured into my life and into Barbi and Bella Love.

My heart goes out to those who are hurting today. I pray for healing, restoration, and comfort. If you feel isolated or alone, please know that you are not weak for feeling that way. It is real. Lean into Jesus. Call on God. Ask Him to heal your heart.

And if you need someone to reach out to, I am here. I have been in those moments too. We need each other. That is what it means to be a family and a body of believers.

A close friend reminded me of that today with a simple gift. The card said strong, that’s you. Inside it read here for you, that’s me. And that reminder mattered. He is here for me, and that helps me stay strong.

God takes us through many seasons and many places, but we are better together. When we lean on one another, we experience strength, presence, and hope. We nurture each other. We plant seeds of joy. We remind one another that we are not alone.

This Christmas, I choose gratitude. I choose faith. I choose love.