By Ashlie Miller

A familiar scene if you love the movie “A Christmas Story” — mother and the old man are sitting together, sipping a drink, and looking outside after an explosion of wrapping papers thrown about by Ralphie and Randy on Christmas morning. My husband and I have grown to resonate with this scene in the last several years. My husband has intentionally taken PTO the week after Christmas because it provides a peaceful culmination after a busy year, much less a busy month. Ideally, there may be a chill in the air, even cold rain, forcing us to embrace the peaceful surroundings of the home.

Peace is often like that, arriving after much chaos rather than the self-realized ethereal feeling that one seldom actually can achieve. No, real peace can come after devastation and destruction because real peace is a Person — Jesus Christ.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27.) Wait! “Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid”? Why would Jesus say that after declaring the peace He would leave them?

In a class I co-teach weekly, we recently referenced entropy in the second law of thermodynamics (no, this isn’t a science class — it’s a Biblical foundations class). Over time, systems become more disorderly and uncertain. We began discussing that if a bomb goes off, the result is disorder, death and chaos rather than wholeness and order. One young man offered this thought — “But didn’t the bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 end up in peace?” Naturally, we explained that we meant the literal consequences of shrapnel and pieces on cities and people. But that got me thinking — maybe this young man is right. Order and peace after devastation.

Consider Mary. After 400 years of silence from God — no prophets, no angels making appearances — suddenly Gabriel appears with news and a message. Although prefacing the message with a “Fear not,” he gives Mary the news that she will be with child, but not just any child, the Child who will be the promised Messiah. While Mary’s response was worshipful and grateful to serve humbly, would that have been my response or yours? The pregnancy was not the result of sinful actions. This was what God was allowing her to experience — and it would result in shame and loneliness. It could have resulted in her death. And yet, there she is, worshiping immediately after the bombshell news. Why?

Think about your life, maybe even this year — has a bomb dropped into your lap? Did it meet you with despair and grief, leaving you to wonder about God’s love, goodness and purposes for you? As you look at the shrapnel of broken pieces — dreams, hopes, plans — do you wonder if you can ever be whole and useful? What was the purpose of all of this anyway?

Before you continue in a tailspin, consider — God delights in using broken pieces because it brings Him glory. The Person of peace, the Prince of Peace stepped down from heaven to be among men to find broken pieces and put them together to bring restoration and healing.

God allowed Mary to be put into a position of shame to bring peace ultimately. Could He be looking at the fragments from the explosion in your life as a way to bring you to peace with Him? We already know from last week’s Advent candle that Hope and Faith give us the confidence to believe in Him. It is not merely blind faith built on nothing. Imagine walking in that confidence and experiencing true Peace with God this holiday season. It is possible because Peace is a Person who dwells among us.

Ashlie Miller is wife to Chad Miler, pastor of Mission Bible Church in Charlotte. Together they are parents of five children in Concord.