I found the Spirit of Christmas this morning... He helped me open my eyes as I awoke... You might know Him too... His name is Christ...

I found the Spirit of Christmas this morning... He helped me open my eyes as I awoke... You might know Him too... His name is Christ...

I love that first moment in the morning as you awake from deep sleep… I’ve mastered the art of waking up without an alarm clock… but I set it just in case... I normally wake just prior to the alarm sounding… it is in these few silent still beautiful moments that I take it in… the cat and dog are still asleep… my eyes open to a thought of sorts… and all the world is at peace… for just these few blessed minutes. But, this is not a frequent occurrence... so when it does happen, I savor it wholly.

This morning… I found the Spirit of Christmas, He helped me open my eyes as I awoke… these words came to mind… I think He whispered them into my ear alongside my Grandmother…

“Delight thyself in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Ps 37:4

And I realize… that it is not something, someone, or my own understanding that will bring anything to pass… but my faith in Christ, who has always been there for me, and has proven time after time; His love and joy toward me… by doing just what that verse states… He gives me the true desires of my heart! Without a doubt! I am humbled; I hug the puppy dog, kiss his sweet soft head, and snuggle in until the clock alarm sounds again…

I step outside with the dog… look around at the beautiful glistening snow from the glow of the farm mercury light… and in the cast of a star-shaped shadow on the sparkling snow… He makes Himself known…

Traveling to work… I dwell on all my heartbreak, all of the loss, all the tears… then He again makes Himself known… appears in front of me… the word “FAITH” (all caps) blatantly comes into focus on the license plate of the car directly in front of me… under the stop light… on my way out of town…

I drive the long stretch of highway… mind off in thought again... dwelling on troubles… how can he entertain another for dinner out... in our home... our bed… The sadness and heartbreak becomes too much to hold in anymore… they start streaming down my cheeks… can’t stop them… one phone call was all it took for this flood of tears… turning into waves now… I limp my car off the highway to muster up the zest and pull into Starbucks for a Friday treat; the wonderful eggnog latte… but, the tears still will not stop… this crying game must end… how long… 18 years of my life are gone… 13 years of marriage and all I have to show for it is a broken heart… tears continue… I rub them away trying to stay focused on the task at hand… order and pick up the latte through the drive thru window… not a hard task, right?

I hold my head low, wipe my face dry… huge snowflakes begin to fall and a couple sneak into the opening of the window… I pull up to pick up my joyful beverage…

The young lady at the counter informs me that the car in front of me paid for my latte… with more tears bottling up in my eyes... I cry now a bit of sorrow with the grace of joy… I was so grateful… grateful for the heart of a stranger… grateful for Christ… He makes himself known to me again…

When you think no one in this world cares for, or notices you… always know this… He does…

By the Spirit of Christmas, love wins.

~ jill marshon