The celebration of Christmas is associated with great joy and gift-giving. It is a time for Christians to unite in the birth of their savior and to partake in memorable family traditions. At least, that’s the ideal. But not all people find themselves in a position to enjoy the holiday in that fashion.
That fact was vividly brought to mind for me, when my spouse and I received a Christmas card from a friend in Bridgewater who recently lost her husband. The personal note at the bottom of the card read as follows (for obvious reasons, no names are used):
"Thank you so much for your expressions of sympathy. It’s not been easy. I miss him so much. Our life was so good. So . . . . Love one another. Cherish each moment! Life is so short."
Ponder the simplicity and great wisdom in those words: It gives us all – regardless of our religious persuasion – reason to pause and to assess our current status in life. For those of us for whom life has been kind, it may not be a bad idea to think of some of our friends or relatives who could use a lift right now.
Think, for a moment, of the fundamentally profound meaning behind the old AT&T commercial, “Reach out and touch someone.” It's a good sentiment, especially for a hurting person. You may have within you a gift far greater than anything that you could purchase in a store.
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