Silent Night, Painful Night

When our family was younger – about three decades ago – we and our four daughters would light the advent candles every night and sing Christmas Carols together.  Even though there may have been misunderstandings, faulty communication and hurts during the day, the singing would somehow make things better, peaceful and good.  Those memories are precious, when life was simpler….

Fast forward to years later when our family was growing – boyfriends, husbands and babies.  One memorable Christmas Eve as we were all together, hurtful words were spoken, tears streamed down, brokenness and pain shattered the evening.  This night before Christmas was not what any of us had hoped for or could have predicted.  The next morning, Christmas Day, our four daughters were scheduled to sing during the worship service.  As the evening wore on and we were working toward understanding and forgiveness, one of the sons-in-law asked what song we were planning to sing.  All Is Well was my reply.  He said “I think The Old Rugged Cross would be more appropriate at this point.”  Personally, I was ready to cancel Christmas altogether.

 After all the careful planning, meal preparation and hopes of a Silent Night, Holy Night, it had turned into a Painful Night, Tearful Night. I was in no mood to sing, and especially not All Is Well because all was certainly not well in our home that dark night. But in the midst of the sadness and heartache that came with our brokenness, God was with us, Immanuel.

It was almost midnight when the four girls and I walked over to the empty church building and practiced All Is Well.  Our daughters sang, I accompanied on the piano and as we practiced, somewhat mechanically, I felt the Spirit of God hovering among us, silently, gently, almost imperceptibly.  Hope grew in my heart – that relationships would be restored and love would continue.  Exhausted, yet at peace, we went home to sleep. The next morning dawned and we quietly gathered ourselves together.  We worshiped in faith, still bruised and weary, but we sang All Is Well. 

Since that time I have pondered many times the fact that All is Well, always, whether life is peaceful or whether there is strain.  The fact is, Immanuel, God is with us – here in our hard times and our joyful times.  He never leaves or forsakes us.  He’s working to continually restore relationships and bring reconciliation to those who are willing to forgive.

A Hallmark Christmas was not ours that year, but we learned once again that Jesus came for families like ours who battle, disagree and hurt each other.  He came so we could be made new, so we could learn to love faithfulness, to humble ourselves and forgive.

Many Christmas Eves later Larry and I were in Idaho, living with and caring for my parents, and still we sang.  On those dark and cold advent nights we practiced the same tradition with my parents as we did so long ago with our children.  We lit the candles and sang carols, a new tradition for them.  Their voices quavered and were not quite as in tune as they used to be.  When we went down the scale on Away in A Manger my dad went up and we met somewhere in the middle, but it was still peaceful and good.

All Is Well.

And all shall be well.