©Laurie Pace Graphics One Design 2025
Christmas Eve: The Promise at Sundown
Lake Cypress Springs - Photography by Laurie Pace
“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and will call Him Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:14
“
Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” — John 14:27
As the sun sets on Christmas Eve, I am always drawn back to the miracle of Christ’s birth.
There is something sacred about the quiet of dusk—the slowing of the day—that invites reflection. Long before Bethlehem, long before the manger, the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of our Savior. More than 700 years before it came to pass, God promised a sign, and He kept it.
Christmas Eve has always held deep meaning for me. Growing up in Dallas, Texas, our family faithfully attended Christmas Eve services at our Evangelical and Reformed Church. The church offered both an English service and a full German service, and of course we attended both. At the close of the evening, candles were lit and “Silent Night” was sung—especially moving in German. That moment set the night into a kind of holy stillness, a glimpse of heaven’s peace.
Our Christmas Eve traditions stretch back through generations. My grandfather worked for the railroad beginning in the 1920s. He was Catholic, while my grandmother—who immigrated from Germany around 1916—was not. She had lived in a boarding house owned by my grandfather’s mother before they married. Because my grandfather often worked on Christmas Day, our family developed the tradition of sharing small gifts on Christmas Eve.
As time passed, my mother made sure these traditions continued.
We always celebrated St Nicholas Day earlier in December. Christmas Eve meant church, followed by eggnog, homemade Christmas cookies, and the exchange of family gifts at home. One of my most treasured memories is decorating the Christmas Tree with my Dad. We hung tinsel one piece at a time... and then it was time to turn on the train circling the Christmas tree—my father’s train from his childhood in the 1930s. Today, my brother’s family has it, and I hope it still makes its way around their tree each year.
Those traditions carried into the next generation. My children grew up celebrating Christmas Eve at my parents’ home, year after year. They also grew up lighting Advent Candles each Sunday and every night throughout December. My two oldest still say some of their best memories are from those evenings. Now my oldest son, Justin, loves hosting Christmas in his own home, and I hope we are always able to gather there together.
Music has always been part of our Christmas story. As a child, I played the piano and pulled out my Christmas music in early November to prepare. My grandmother loved to sing while I played. Later in the years, when Christmas was held in our own home, we gathered for a hearty meal, sang carols, and worshiped together—often with guitars played by me and my youngest son. Then we ate homemade Christmas cookies.
Our deepest desire has always been for our children and grandchildren to know the true story of Christmas. We want them invested in the journey of Mary and Joseph, and in the humble welcome given to baby Jesus. Christmas is not only about joy and love—it is about mercy, forgiveness, and the gift of salvation God offers a broken world.
A Christmas Eve Devotional Reflection
This year, as I write on Christmas Eve, plans feel uncertain. Illness has touched our family, and Christmas Day is unclear. It brings back memories of the COVID years, when gatherings were paused and homes were quiet.
Yet the first Christmas was also marked by uncertainty. Mary and Joseph faced the unknown, far from home, with no guarantees—only faith. And still, God was fully present.
The promise of Christmas does not depend on perfect plans or full tables. Immanuel—God with us—meets us in the waiting, in the stillness, and in the quiet of dusk.
As the sun sets on Christmas Eve, we are reminded that God’s light does not fade with the day. His peace enters our lives not as the world gives, but as only He can give. We are invited to release our expectations and rest in His presence.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6
May we welcome Christ again this Christmas—trusting His promise, resting in His peace, and allowing His love to steady us in every season. It is this essence of faith that fills our hearts with lasting joy. Elle
Laurie is an international artist, her paintings are collected in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, DuBai, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, St Thomas, Romania, Greece, Croatia, and Ecuador.
GALLERY LINKS
© Graphics One Design 2025
Comments