The Connection Corner

A Hug That Calmed The Storm

Galatians 5:14 — For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.

In a department store crowded with shoppers and twinkling lights, a little girl’s cry pierced the air. She was sitting in a shopping cart, face red, blotchy. Her tiny fists were curled tight.

Her mother crouched beside her, whispering reassuring words but nothing seemed to comfort her. The woman’s shoulders were braced because she knew she was carrying not just her child, but the judgmental glances of everyone around her.

Shoppers sidestepped them and hurried past.

Then a boy, no older than four-years-old appeared from the next aisle over. He ran toward the crying girl he had never met and wrapped her in a hug. There was absolutely no hesitation in this.

Then the crying stopped. Within seconds the toddler was giggling again.

The mother covered her mouth, and that is when she began to cry. It was just a hug, but it calmed the storm going on inside that anxious mother’s heart.

I have told this story to friends before, and every time, I catch myself imagining the love it takes to step toward someone else’s chaos. The boy did not lecture, he did not calculate, he simply noticed and acted.

That is exactly what Scripture calls us to do: “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:14).

It struck me that small gestures carry immense weight. Peace does not always arrive with grand plans or elaborate words. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a hug from a stranger, a kind word, or a hand offered when someone is struggling.

As I reflect on it now, I realize how often I hesitate. How many moments pass me by because I am afraid to step in? And yet, if one four-year-old can quiet a storm, what might we accomplish if we simply move toward each other instead of away?

The next time someone near you is struggling, consider this: a small act of care, offered without expectation, can make a world of a difference in their life. More than you’ll ever know.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When you notice someone else’s struggle, do you tend to step closer or quietly move on? What usually holds you back?
Think of a time when a small act of kindness changed your day. How did it affect you emotionally or spiritually?
Who might be feeling overwhelmed, judged, or unseen around you right now — at home, work, or even while running errands?
What simple act of love could you offer today without overthinking it — a word, a gesture, or your presence?
How might loving your neighbor “as yourself” look different this season if you responded with compassion before calculation?

December 13, 2025/by Brenda Price

Learning to Welcome Jesus

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About Songs

Revelation 3:20 — Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

My dad surrendered his life to Jesus when I was about seven, and everything changed in our house. He started taking us to church and singing in the choir. One of my biggest memories of his singing was Christmas — because he was always in the church Christmas musical.

As much as I loved hearing my dad, my favorite singer was Mr. Roy Reynolds, the church bass. When he sang, he would curl his lower lip and rumble out these deep notes you could feel in your chest. As a kid, he was my favorite to watch because of all the funny faces he made.

Every Christmas, Mr. Roy played the innkeeper — which was huge to me — because he sang a solo called “No Room.”

Our musical had one of the deacons and a sweet lady from church dressed as Joseph and Mary — bathrobes, cloths over their heads, and a baby doll in their arms. They would walk from door to door on the set, knocking, hoping someone had space for them.

Then they’d reach the inn. Mr. Roy would step out, chest high and voice booming with joy because he knew his one line was coming:

“NO ROOM!”

As a kid, I thought the innkeeper was the villain. I imagined him wearing a black hat like in old westerns — the man who turned away Jesus. Jesus came to save the world, and this guy put Him in a barn.

It made all of us feel better about ourselves. We’d never turn away Jesus… right?

But years later, after I’d grown in faith, I realized the innkeeper wasn’t a bad guy. He was just… a guy. Busy. Overwhelmed. Trying to handle life. And when the holy moment knocked on his door, he didn’t recognize it for what it was.

I told a pastor this story once. He smiled and said, “You know… the innkeeper gave Him a place. He just didn’t give Him the place.”

And suddenly Revelation 3:20 took on a whole new meaning: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”

The innkeeper didn’t reject Jesus with malice. He just didn’t make room for Him. He offered something — but not his best.

And if I’m honest, I see myself in him more than I’d like to admit.

This Christmas, as the calendar fills and the urgency of life crowds in… how willing am I to stop and make room for Jesus? Not just a place — but the place?

— Mark Hall, CASTING CROWNS

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where in your life do you feel “crowded” — emotionally, mentally, or spiritually — making it harder to slow down and notice Jesus knocking?
What would it look like to give Jesus not just a place in your day, but the place?
Think of a time when you almost missed something meaningful because you were busy. How might that relate to letting Jesus in more fully this season?
Are there habits, distractions, or pressures that are keeping you from opening the door more widely to Him?
How might you intentionally create space for Jesus — in your home, your schedule, your relationships — as you move through the Christmas season?

December 12, 2025/by Linda Meyers

Speaking Peace into Panic

Brenda Price, Daily Devotional

Ephesians 4:29 — Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

So, I am crouched down on the driveway, tossing jackets and bags like I am searching for buried treasure. My keys are gone.

I had driven five hours to see my best friend, imagining quiet mornings with coffee and conversation, but now panic pins me to the pavement. I picture my cat pacing back and forth at home. I picture missing work and the long explanations that follow. Every possible disaster blooms in my mind.

The roadside helper arrives. His coat is dusted with white. A soft glow from the lights reflects in the windshield behind him. He does not sigh or flinch. He asks calm, simple questions like “Where did you last have them?”

He listens while I spill the story of my scattered morning. He does not rush me. He does not make me feel foolish. Almost like a cup of cocoa, his warm presence feels comforting. And for the first time in an hour, I can breathe.

Of course, the keys were exactly where I had left them, under the windshield wipers on my friend’s car. Relief rushes through me. I laugh at myself. But more than relief, I feel so thankful for how that jolly, gentle, AAA man treated me. It felt like a gift.

Looking back on that whole thing, I feel reminded that words matter. Tone matters. How we show up for people in stressful situations matters.

Ephesians 4:29 teaches us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Now, in this season of twinkling lights and cinnamon-scented candles, I think about how easy it is for holiday stress to make us spiral. Maybe the best gift we can give today that matters most is not wrapped in a box.

Maybe it comes from a calm Christ-like voice, your steady presence, and your hands reaching out with confident kindness to people who need reassurance.

Who in your life might need that gift this year?

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When stress rises, how do your words tend to sound? What would it look like to pause and let your voice become a source of calm instead of pressure?
Who in your life might need gentle, encouraging words today — someone overwhelmed, anxious, or carrying more than they admit?
Think of a time someone spoke kindness to you when you felt stressed or scattered. How did it change the moment? How could you offer that same gift this week?
What simple shift could help your conversations reflect more of Jesus — your tone, your patience, or your willingness to listen?
How might God be inviting you to use your voice as a way to bring peace, comfort, and hope into someone’s holiday season?

December 11, 2025/by Brenda Price