The Wonders of Ordinary Life

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

There’s something magical about the quiet of a winter night, and Robert Frost captured it well in his poem. It’s these unexpected moments that make life wonder-filled. How wise we are when we recognize them and pull our little horses aside to drink in soul-reviving peace.

For the past few weeks, I’ve found myself smiling a lot. I think it’s because we’re having a bit of “normal” life.

The last few years have been rough for all of us. Our family has had so many deaths, including my brother who died on Christmas Eve year before last. The weeks before and after his advent into heaven were heavy laden. Then within weeks, the plague (Covid) wound its way through the land. The uncertainty, the illnesses, and isolation took their toll.

This Christmas, things are a bit more normal. We are out and about more. Sharing holidays with family. Doing book signings. Shopping! We even attended a few Christmas parties. It’s so wonderful to catch up with old friends!

Then, last Sunday we attended a Christmas event at church. Friends surrounded us, and my soul was stirred as over a dozen performers sang and played—piano, violin, guitar. Each song seemed to have amplified meaning. The newcomer to America singing a Christmas song in her native language. The talented 11-year-old girl who was rescued from a crack house by a couple in our church. The young couple who has overcome the recent death of a baby and a parent.

One of the songs, “Oh Come All Ye Unfaithful,” was new to me. The refreshing words were written by a young woman who couldn’t relate to the joyful and triumphant people in “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” Instead, she felt broken, weary and ashamed. In writing about her feelings, she has touched the hearts of many. You can read the story and listen to the beautiful words here:

https://worshipmatters.com/2020/12/18/the-story-behind-o-come-all-you-unfaithful/

None of us knows what tomorrow or the New Year will bring, but we can be assured that Jesus cares for us and is calling us. And we can look for joy in ordinary moments.

May God bless you with a perfectly ordinary and wonder-filled Christmas and New Year.