Relax, she writes in her meditative piece.

Relax, good things will come. It is as it has already been.

Relax.

That five letter word rattles me. Relax?! It shakes me by the scruff of my heart. How can I after all the things experienced…the hard things, the relational ripping and tearing. How do I relax when resentment tries to break down my door? How do I outrun the monsters of unhealed hurts banging in my head? Relax? How when my fears of the dark whispers behind my back have defined me as less than me, and perceived as more real than me by others?

Relax.

Mary has much to show about this resting and relaxing. She who knew the very real cost to her life, the social code, of longing and pondering because a law would be broken within her, but not by her. Then she lets go and says, “May your word to me be fulfilled” the two words that could put her at jeopardy—let go. How did she? How did she surrender? How did something so dear as her own life and soul surrender and let go? Her maturity betrays her youth. She lets go, she relaxes. She leans into God and lets go of all the heavy, weighty things. She puts herself squarely in the middle of more than she can know and surrenders to it.

Perhaps any number of us have had to face the monsters of the unhealed hurts or the dark whispers during this COVID reality. Maybe, just maybe, you feel the need to look at the broken pieces, finger them, and remember. Maybe in this season, relax and rest is beckoning you. Beckoning you to let go and embrace surrender. Letting go and begin to perceive differently as it has already been written and the good will come, surrender. Relax, it will come, never too late, nor too early.

Merry Christmas! Trust that what God has and given will be enough. Relax.

—Dianne