I woke to a cloudy misty Christmas morning.  When we stepped out of the early morning Christmas Mass a brilliant rainbow greeted us.  God blessed us with a visible gift of His Light.  I realized how grateful I am this year.

This Christmas brings gratitude to Milly’s Realm.  I have a lot to be grateful for this season. I have my family, friends and you, my readers and listeners.  In 2019, He led me to mountain tops, through shadowy places, along winding rivers, and valleys.  Through it all, God has kept a hedge of protection around us.  He is bringing my family together this Christmas for a meal.  As my friend Job said amid his trials, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”*

I know it sounds like a sappy Christmas story.   Some of us had close calls this year.  One or more of the family might not have made it Milly’s table this year.  We had a close call Friday night.  The angels were in action while I slept.

I was blissfully unaware of what was happening three miles from my home.  My phone trilled.  “Huh?”  I woke up and reached to snooze the morning alarm.  I opened one eye.  “Not the right…” I muttered at the sound.  The phone trilled again with a phone call.  I bolted up to a sitting position in bed.  I glanced at the phone, my husband’s name displayed across the screen.  Panic struck, scrambling for the phone I answered it to hear him say, “Honey, I’m okay.”  Relief flooded me.  My voice shook when I asked, “What happened?”

In the evenings my husband drives for a ride-sharing service and had just dropped off someone a little before eleven.  After accepting another ride he got back on the road.  He started through the green light when a driver going the opposite direction turned left into his front quarter panel.

As far as we know, the accident did not seriously injure anyone.  My husband needed me to pick him up because our vehicle needed to be towed.  I dressed and went to the accident scene.  When I got there, the tow truck was loading the other car, and the officers were clearing the scene.  My husband came to me wrapping me in a bear hug.  Burying my face in his shoulder and I drew from his strength.  “I’m sorry I had to wake you,” he whispered in my ear.  Tears pricked my eyes when I looked up into his face.  “I’m just grateful you’re okay,” I replied.

On Sunday I began to get flashes of light the peripheral vision of my left eye.  I had never experienced that before.  On Christmas Eve I was at the Ophthalmologist getting tested for a possible detached retina.  My husband held my hand, and my mom sent me encouragement with Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV]:

“⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

We found out as my eyeball ages it shrinks and pulls away from the retina a bit.  Ninety-nine percent of the time we don’t notice this change in our eyes.  Sometimes when the eyeball shrinks it sticks to or rubs against the retina.  This causes the flash of light we see.  There are times the retina tears or detaches if the eyeball sticks too much.

The tests showed my retina did not detach, and the Doctor did not find any tears.  A retina specialist will need to double-check my eyes and then I need regular visits to the Ophthalmologist.

The situation with my eyes made me think about how I have changed over the year, but I still cling to the past.  If I hold on to fears and anxiety from past experiences it tears at the peace God gives me each day.  “Let go, and let God,” takes on new meaning.  If I let go of the past, it helps me focus on today without fear.  What the scripture says is a formula.  Don’t be anxious, pray with thanksgiving and make your requests to God then the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Thank you for reading and listening as I walk this path with Christ Jesus.  May you have a blessed holiday season in your adventure journey,

Merry Christmas

Milly

*Job 1:21