Come, then," returned the nephew gaily. "What right have you to be dismal?

So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen Him who looks after me.” Genesis 16:13

He is the One who sees. Truly. This was the declaration of Hagar in the loneliness of her desert. I don’t imagine that there are much lonelier places than fleeing into the desert to watch your child die. Yet even in this moment, she was not alone.

And this is a lonely world. I want to join him in seeing. The dark hooded souls scurrying across the unlit street just as the last few stars are fading.

And as I pray today, I pray to join Hagar in knowing, knowing His great love, the plans he has for good. Yes, that He is good. And may we be filled with His peace and joy in the midst of the ringing bells. God bless us, every one.

And speaking of Tiny Tim, I will never forget Judy reading The Christmas Carol aloud in the sun that Christmas afternoon. All piled about on blankets and couch pillows, each with warm toes and warm hearts, the perfectly pitched music of her voice swirled in the sunbeams, retelling this tale of truth, letting it settle into our very soul.

He went to the church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and for, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of homes, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed of any walk, that anything, could give him so much happiness.