Mosaic (Dec 19)
- Amber Thiessen
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
We experienced our first winter blizzard this week—fresh snow, 50 km/h winds, zero visibility, travellers missing the road, and two unexpected no-school days.
The only reason we could truly say we enjoyed it was because we hunkered down in our warm home, sipping hot chocolate and enjoying the fun of board games, nerf wars and Mariokart.
Roads were closed. So that meant we were all stuck at home. We couldn’t even see the house across the street due to the vicious wind and blowing snow.
In years past, our grandparents tied a rope from the barn to the house so they wouldn’t lose their way while tending animals in the storm. We even joked about tying a rope from our house to the neighbours’, the way they once did, to make sure the kids could travel safely back and forth—but text messages proved sufficient.
I look out the window at a sea of white. I hear the whistling wind and the soft scuff of my porch furniture inching back under its force. Stormy days like these remind me how the Christmas season can feel just as frantic. There are so many good things—gifts to be enjoyed and received—but the remembering, the activities, and the special events can cloud our minds with endless to-dos.
As storms rage—whether blizzards outside our windows or the storminess of full, busy lives—we need a tether. Something fixed and trustworthy to hold onto, guiding us safely from one place to another—like the rope stretched from house to barn.
During Advent, we travel the story step by step, each one a marker of remembrance of God’s work in the world. We begin with ancient prophecies—the purposes of God set before the foundation of the world. We remember the fall of what He created good: exile, wilderness, and exile again.
Hope is carried forward through faith in His promises, generation after generation, through four hundred years of silence—until the time had fully come.
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba!" (Gal 4:4-7)
We worship as the shepherds did, as the wise men did, as the family gathered around the manger—at the declaration of the Messiah’s arrival. We worship for the kindness of God: bringing salvation, redeeming us, and adopting us as His children and heirs.
Each Advent I return to the short classic On the Incarnation, where Athanasius reminds us, "For by the sacrifice of His own body He did two things: He put an end to the law of death which barred our way; and He made a new beginning of life for us, by giving us the hope of resurrection."
Here we find our tether: in the grace and goodness of the gospel.
Our steadfast hope in celebrating Christ’s coming is this—the end of the law of death and the beginning of new life. We are brought out of darkness and into the kingdom of His Son, given reconciliation with Almighty God and the forgiveness of sins.
And so we celebrate the birth of Christ, rejoicing in the salvation given to us—because He came.
I pray that through this season, through whatever busyness, excitement, joys and sorrows you'll find this grounding in the goodness and grace of the gospel.
On the Blog
In Articles
"Traditions may have lost their luster, gatherings may be a painfu reminder of the broken, yet-to-be-fully-redeemed world we live within. But they all point our eyes homeward and heavenward."
This is written to an audience of young men, but the truths are for us all. Erik shares that three threats to godliness-Distraction, Dilution and Disobedience-and how we can shift through each toward further godly living. This was an encouragment to me, especially as I consider goals and habits for the new year.
Whether it's a crushing medical diagnosis or generalized challenges our kids face, Lindsay points us to Psalm 37:3-4: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” There are times as parents we don't want to walk the journey we're led on, it's tough and challenging. But, "this is where God firmly planted my feet. Be where your feet are."
This article brought me back through seasons of ministry, when I've experienced doubts about whether "this" is what I should be doing and curiosities of what could be instead. Sometimes it's been a result of frustrations with circumstances or unmet expectations. But after a particular time in prayer, the Lord reminded me that this is where I am. This is what I'm doing and this is where He has called me for this moment. With this truth, how then do we respond? If God has me here and this is His will for my life, Lord help me be faithful and fervent to bring you glory and serve others.
Here's an encouraging advent devotional about the pattern in Scripture of exile and return, "because at the heart of Christmas is God's answer to the ache."
And, finally Merry Christmas, from our home to yours!
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