SILENT NIGHT SHATTERED

Last night I said, "Doug, I've got a hankering for a burger and some Checkers fries."

Now he could have mentioned it was almost 10 PM, but he didn't.  Or pointed out the obvious; we were in our pajamas in the middle of a recorded Hallmark movie.  But he didn't.  Or he might have whined about it being cold out there and warm in here.  But he didn't.  

Let me explain why.  He understood three things.  

• hankering--a southern yearning, not always related to pregnancies
• Checkers fries--duh.  
• loving me enough to drive me there in our pj's with a smile

It was that post holiday lazy phase we were vegging in.  As we pulled back into our driveway, warm bag in hand, we headed up to our front door, bedroom shoes softly padding.Then we heard it.  Hard to describe in a blog.  But it was loud voices, angrily arguing from the porch and doorway of our next door neighbor.  In CHINESE!  

View by snowy day.

We quietly slipped into the house trying not to embarrass them with our unintentional eavesdropping. They must have spotted us.  The voices silenced immediately.

When they'd first moved in, I introduced myself but she spoke not one word of English.  So our meet and greet morphed into a bowing contest of repeating our own names, loudly.  So now we just smile, nod and wave from our yards.  There are no words we share.

Today as I thought about our neighbors last night, I prayed for them. Their fight had moved from indoors to outdoors.  They didn't realize they had an audience hearing every word.  Indiscernible, yes.  But fighting sounds similar in any language.

We too have an audience of One seeing our every ugly action, thought or word.  We may not be aware or perceptive enough to sense Him.  Cover of darkness, indoors or out, God is omniscient.  He not only understands any language but the very intents of my heart, my sometimes wicked heart.

I wondered if I became aware of God in those moments, might I shut up?  Blush?  Change my thinking, actions? Would I feel His love, ready forgiveness, hurt, His desire to help?  Unlike neighbors, He can intervene in our hardest places and heal them.

Next time you feel angry, alone, hurt, afraid, disappointed in yourself or others, misunderstood, taken for granted, unloved or mistreated, like no one hears or understands you. . .remember One does.

One is enough.

Peter knows how it feels too.


Les Miserables is an epic story about grace.  If you have the opportunity, see it.  We did yesterday.  Take tissues!