My Christmas List
I'm a list maker. I've made some pretty sweet lists over the years, too, with columns, color coding, and notations galore. Sometimes my lists look so good, that I don't want to mess them up by crossing things off...(wink). So my pristine list sits there in my clipboard following me around like a personal assistant, always reminding me of what I haven't yet accomplished.
Did you make a Christmas list? Did the children in your life give you a nice (long) list of their wishes to make your Christmas shopping easier? ;-)
I have some personal wishes of my own as my children and I will start the New Year combining our lives with my fiance and his children. I hope each member of our new, expanded family will love and respect each other. I hope there will be a lot of grace given, and no shortage of good food and shared laughter. I hope the transition period will be as smooth as possible, and I also really hope all our pets get along. : - )
What are you hoping for this Christmas?
The following list of noble wishes is from a popular Christmas song:
1. No more lives torn apart,
2. That wars would never start,
3. That time would heal all hearts,
4. Everyone would have a friend,
5. That right would always win, and
6. Love would never end.
Idealistic? You bet. Unrealistic? Probably. But what a list of selfless wishes. You'll note that there are no electronics on that list, no clothes or jewelry, no requests for materialistic possessions. If you've ever been in a place in your life when you pretty much had everything you wanted, you realize that "things" aren't really worth wanting, and those highly sought-after "things" don't fill up our souls or give us hope for tomorrow.
Some people may experience this feeling very clearly the day after Christmas, when our high hopes for Christmas are either gone or have missed the mark completely. Some experience it in January when the bills arrive or much quicker - about 5 minutes after all the gifts have been opened. There is truly only one "Gift" that will continue to bless you and sustain you and make your life worth living. That's the Gift that was given to us by our Heavenly Father long, long ago... the Gift that is exactly what we need to make our miserable lives complete.
My encouragement to you for this Christmas season is to not let yourself get carried away with giving or receiving presents, and instead of putting an unrealistic amount of expectation in something you believe or hope the holidays will provide for you or someone else, put that hope in the One who never disappoints. Our Savior chose a very simple and humble way to make His entrance into the world. Take away the tinsel, the wassail, the bright lights and the buffets, and what do you have? The Greatest Gift of All. Our Savior, Christ the Lord. Behold Him. Worship Him. Adore Him. Let your heart fall before Him and simply enjoy Him. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Philippians 4: 11b - 12NLT: "I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little."
Isaiah 49:23NIV: "...I am the Lord. Those who hope in me will not be disappointed."
Silently...how silently,
Bonnie
