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| Taken fromThe Christ Child, Illustrated by Miska and Maud Petersham |
What is Christmas? Nope, it is not about gifts. It is about one Gift, Christ. This holiday is about God's incarnation, becoming a man. This day celebrates His arrival. He dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) I know for many this is an outdated concept.
What Christmas gift can I offer? How about
serenity?
I find it attainable when we do what we can, then letting go of the results. An expectation is a resentment waiting to happen. We leave our expectations with God. We place the results in His capable hands.
There is only one God and we are not Him. Our best efforts are good enough. (Courage to Change, p. 9)
Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives us something to do but it doesn't get us anywhere. (Hope for Today, p 98). I'd rather light a candle, doing something constructive.
That's better than cursing the darkness or bemoaning trying circumstances. Complaining and fear----where's the growth in that? You're right, there's none.
The gift of joy is available. It's about perspective. It about where we place our thoughts. The life of the innkeeper, growing up, was difficult. Yet, today my life is full of joy, hope, and positivity. This can be your situation, too.
Maybe your need is abundance. It can be easy, worrying about the finan-cial stability of our future. I don't know the future. But, I know who holds it. My confi-dence is in my Higher Power. Neither my job nor my paycheck is my provision. God is.
My faith is not blind. That's folly, dangerous.
Where I place my faith, matters. It okay if it is tentative or insecure. I can place my toes on four-foot thick slab of ice on a lake. As I detect it's ability to support me, my trust strengthens.
When I see a Zamboni---you know, those truck-like, more than a thousand pound devices that smooth ice on hockey rinks---race up and down the surface of ice I am standing on, my trust increases.
On the other hand, I can have tremendous faith, while stepping on a 1/8th of an inch thick sheet of ice covering a lake. It does not prevent me from crashing through.
It is not the intensity of my faith that mat-ters. What is critical is the object in which I place it. For me, that is God.Every week, He consis-tently demonstrates support and love. I know His patience and grace since I was a kid.
My wish this Christmas is that you discover----if you haven't already----the joy of having a personal relationship with Him. The Wise Men sought Him, years ago. May you seek and discover Him, too, is my prayer.
He awaits you. All you have to do is invite Him. How?
Through the door of your heart, entrusting your life to Him. You'd discover peace, joy, and serenity when you do. I know. I did this more than twenty years ago.
The relationship I have with God provides serenity during tough times. He is the source for my Attitude of Gratitude. Betrayals, trauma, and difficult circumstances do not rob me of the joy that fills my life.
My hope is that you will discover His peace and the joy that transcends our understanding and circumstances.
May you have a great and grateful Christmas!
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