The Fifth Day of Christmas by Hannah Haigh
The presence of Christ has always been a subject I find difficult to put into words. As some of you may know, Julian and I both took some time away from the church in our twenties and thirties, and attending Hillside with our children has been a return to the church for the both of us. Growing up in the Church, I never really resonated with the concept of God’s presence. People who claimed that they were “told by God” often had a message that was self-serving or even hateful. I had never had a moment where I thought God was “speaking” to me. This led me to believe that either those people were making stuff up, or God just had no interest in talking to me. What was I missing that others seemed to understand so clearly? Why didn’t I see Christ’s presence in my life as obviously as everyone else was? It took leaving the church and really taking time to examine my faith to fully understand how He made his presence known.
Nowadays, I don’t view his presence in as much of a literal way as I used to. I don’t seek out a sign or a voice or a “Road to Damascus” moment. Instead, I have started to notice him in the simple, small things that bring me peace.
I notice him when my first reaction to the chaos of life is to laugh instead of being overwhelmed as I should expect to. I notice him when my children run to me after a long day, or when they tell me I look beautiful right at the moment when my self-esteem is struggling. I notice him in every small interaction at Hillside, and when awkward first-time interactions turn to hugs in greeting. I notice him in those rare, brief, quiet moments, when everyone is asleep and all of my stresses and anxieties somehow don’t seem as close or as pressing as they usually do.
To my eye, God is always present in everything, not just the times when we hear him “speak” to us. Christmas; the lead-up and excitement of Advent, the decorations, the carols, the time with friends and family, all of these moments give us the opportunity to see his presence. He’s always there, we just need a gentle reminder every now and then to take notice.
You can find a downloadable PDF of this reflection here.
Each day, a new reflection will drop here. We hope you enjoy them and reflect upon, experiencing the presence of Christ in this season.