A group of women who’d spent the fall studying Moving From Fear to Freedom: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation invited me to join them for a Christmas brunch on Wednesday morning. The brunch was to start at 9 AM.
My Wednesday morning online Bible study runs from 8 AM-9 AM. To accommodate both meetings meant asking the brunch hostess if I could arrive at 7:45 and set up my laptop for my 8 AM Zoom call.
My GPS told me the trip would take 49 minutes. I figured I’d allow an hour—just in case. I’d been on the highway for one minute, maybe two, when traffic slowed and then stopped. There I sat, staring at an endless ribbon of red taillights.
Hopefully it’s just a slow start to the morning rush hour, I thought. Things will start moving again soon. I turned on the local Christian radio station. One carol after another filled the car, but truth be told, I didn’t pay much attention. As traffic began to crawl, my eyes focused on the GPS and its suggested estimated time of arrival. The ETA pushed back further and further, and my angst climbed. It soon became obvious that I’d miss my 8 AM meeting. Would I be late for, or even miss meeting with the women at the brunch too?
That’s when the words of a carol grabbed my attention: “A baby changes everything….”
It’s true. Jesus came as a baby, and He changes everything, I thought. Including me.
“Father, please change my attitude,” I prayed. “Forgive me for worrying about this morning’s meetings. Teach me to trust You more, and to worship as I wait not knowing what the outcome will be.”
I watched a helicopter fly back and forth, back and forth across the highway before hovering about a half mile ahead. “And Father, thank You for encouraging me to be more mindful of others. Perhaps there’s an accident ahead, and people are injured and frightened. If so, please send the help they need, and comfort them at this time.”
Peace replaced my angst. Ten or fifteen minutes later, I discovered the reason for the backup: a burned-out semi-trailer.
A baby changes everything. Jesus, Prince of Peace, came into our world so He could live in us. His presence ought to bring inner peace on days like my Wednesday, yes? His power at work within us ought to help us worship, rather than worry, in the wait when we don’t know what the outcome will be.
A baby changes everything. How has this baby made a difference in your life?
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