December 29, 2023

Merry Christmas! We are right in the middle of our 12 Days now and I hope you have seen the light of Christ shine in some way. Our own Joan Stovall wrote a reflection after she saw the light of Christ this season and it is too beautiful not to share (with Joan's permission). Joan writes:

Christmas happened yesterday. Christ’s Light, right in the middle of Apple Valley. Bindi, our dog, was very ill and we searched frantically for an emergency animal hospital taking patients this Sunday. With many hospitals already at capacity, a vet at the emergency animal hospital in Apple Valley agreed to squeeze Bindi into their already packed schedule. The receptionist explained apologetically that it would likely be a six hour wait at the site. As Bindi and I sat waiting in the crowded room with the other animals and owners, staff greeted each incoming pet with compassion and concern. With exam rooms full, the vets quietly examined pets in the waiting room, helping the animals and calming anxious owners. At one point, the staff rushed out to help transport a very sick animal onto a gurney and in through another door. The waiting room became still, but the Light shined. Two separate people arrived quietly weeping, bearing their already deceased pets. Others came in to be with their pets as they went over the Rainbow Bridge. The staff offered quiet words and gently guided them to a back room. The professionals worked tirelessly through a continuous stream of desperate new patients and nonstop phone calls from frantic pet owners. They helped those they could and tried to find other resources for others when there was no more space. Christmas was happening. The animals looked on and the Light of Christ shined brighter and brighter.

My prayer for you, this Christmas week and always, is for you to see, with your eyes or with your heart, the light of Christ shine through and in unexpected places.