In the book of Numbers, Chapter 6, we find that precious moment when the Lord speaks to Moses and gives him the words of the Priestly blessing:
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
Numbers 6:22-26
Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,
Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
I love those words. They resonate in my soul. They remind me of a moment when all the creation was at peace in my life. Yes, it was a long time ago. I was a small child. I lived in the upper Midwest prairie land of South Dakota. There is one word that describes South Dakota in December. That word is “snow.”
I know that most people up north don’t appreciate snow. I also know most people who live south chuckle at the thought of long term snow. But there is something special about a good December snow that I will always remember.
It happens with no wind. It happens at night. It happens when there is already snow covering the ground. The sky just starts producing large, fluffy, beautiful white flakes the size of a quarter. They don’t fall out of the sky – they float out of the sky. It looks like heaven itself is falling into our world piece by piece. It looks noisy and yet, there is no sound – none. There is no stress – none. There is nothing but extreme silence and silent beauty. The scene is so breathtaking you occasionally forget to breathe. You watch as the world is painted “pure.”
And for an instant, you do forget the fact that your toes are numb. You do forget that you no longer have any sense of feeling in your face. You do forget that the moisture in your nose is beginning to freeze. Instead, all you do know is an inner part inside you is dancing with an outer peace outside you. And it is good.
These are the last few hours before Christmas. Slow down. Stop. Retrieve, perceive, and receive the purity of the heavenly blessing – the light of the Christ child entering our world. GOD’S LIGHT penetrating our darkness. It is good.
Feel it. Live it. Breathe it. You will be blessed by the bringer of Peace.
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
