I decided to make this Christmas Eve a quiet prayer day. Tomorrow I will spend Christmas Day with family. Today it was just me and God, catching up and getting reacquainted. I decided to make an outing of it, and even though it was frigid outside (barely entering double digits mind you), I drove out to a forest preserve in the suburbs for a walk. Outfitted with my down coat and gloves, long johns, snow boots (and my camera), I found a beautiful spot in the woods. Sun, snow, trees, beauty!
When I came home, before heading out to mass, I created this video prayer reflection to immortalize the day, set to Sufjan Steven's version of "Joy to the World."
Heaven and nature do certainly sing! Despite the cold I felt the calm and peace of God's creation, the sheer beauty in simplicity. I felt centered and connected, loved as we prepare to welcome and celebrate the in-breaking of God's love into our world ... Jesus, God-with-us.
I was reminded of an earlier Christmas Eve walk, this one when I was discerning which religious community to enter and received gift upon gift through contemplation of God's creation. I've written about that walk before, even sharing my journal entry from that momentous day when God's love broke through and guided me to where I found my heart, as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.
Today's Christmas Eve walk did not have any life changing realizations, but instead was simple in its beauty. Taking time away, reconnecting with God and God's creation was what my spirit needed today, and that is gift indeed.
Peace
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