Dear Jesus,
It’s Christmas time and all around me are signs of wonder and beauty, beckoning me to experience joy and delight. Yet in my heart I have an ongoing tug-of-war that is derailing my joy. The truth is that I really need your help.
Ever since the election, I’ve been dealing with an inner struggle for peace. For months I felt bombarded by confusing messages that seemed to conflate Christian values with things that seemed so unChristian to me. Things that smacked of selfishness, cruelty, and a lack of love. So many things that didn’t seem like my understanding of you, Jesus, yet proclaiming you.
This atmosphere of divisive ideas even led to conflict with people in my circle of family and friends, people that I love and cherish. It seems like it should have been put to bed by now, but the truth is that it hasn’t.
So here I am, Jesus, feeling dizzily unsettled and hungry for your peace. I wonder if there are others who are also struggling with this inner battle for peace of mind. Others who are also desperate for your peace. I’m sure there are, so I am crying out on their behalf as well.
I’m not a newbie with you, Jesus. We’ve been together for a very long time. I know firsthand the moments when you have stepped in and surprised me with joy, comfort, and help. I know your promises. And just as I have always done before, here I am again, praying, waiting, and praying some more.
Jesus, I know that you told us to trust you with childlike trust. You also told us to persist in coming to you. You said, “So I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you, search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13).
Jesus, here I am. Here we are. We are asking, searching, and knocking. Open the door to your peace, your wonder, and your hope. Open the door for all of us to experience the wonder, beauty, and majesty of Christmas, your arrival as Emmanuel. Help us reconcile the messages of the world with the truth of who you are. Help us leave the past behind and look forward to all that you desire for us now.
Jesus, be Christmas to us and grant us peace on earth.
With all my love,
Diane
Diane Tracey Flook loves being in nature, especially the mountains, and daily walks exploring the neighborhood around her. She loves podcasts, working out, learning about health, and spending time with her husband, her four daughters, and her grandchildren.