Refuge.

Lately, I've been thinking about our home being a literal refuge from a certain, brooding storm. Over the last year, I've been teaching myself how to recognize and deal with anxiety. Watching the news is something we rarely ever do, mostly because I cannot handle hearing about what is going on around me. It's frightening and heartbreaking and impossible to filter "good news" from bad. Call it ignorant. I'm fully choosing to be this way. Today, we watched ABC for most of the morning and as I sat on the floor crying, Morgan kept telling me to think about Jesus. I was overcome with how profound of a response that was coming from a (barely) four year-old. He's such my little companion, always making sure I'm doing okay and feeling okay. He even prays for me -- at four years old. (I'm not sure why I've been so blessed.) All afternoon, I've been watching my boys run around, pushing each other in the toy dump truck, playing with legos and laughing; perfectly innocent and whole. No matter how dark it is outside, the purity that I see in the faces of my children tells me that Heavenly Father is keeping watch. My heart hurts so much lately, but I'm so thankful for the peace that is offered by Jesus Christ, our literal Comforter and Savior. What a true celebration His birth is. I think of the word rejoice and what it truly means. What hope He brought (and forever brings) to the world. How comforting it is to know that though we'll eventually be separated from each other in this life, it is not the end. We can be together forever someday in a perfectly bright place where there is no fear and no pain. Just holiness and light. There's such a longing in my heart for that day. One day it will come.