Christmas Eve Day is a hustle and bustle time. Last minute shopping, baking and wrapping. Travel and family gathering. In the midst of the holiday whirlwind, I wish for you all a time tonight to sit by your tree in dimmed semi-darkness, where you can marvel at the dancing lights. Pause and reflect on the year that has passed, and the new one to come. The joys and the sorrows. The dreams and goals. A moment of peace to remember what it is all for.
If you are Christian there is special worship and wonder in the symbolism of this Silent and Holy night. Honoring the birth of a baby in Bethlehem that altered the course of the world. The humility of this entrance, a King brought forth in a stable, speaks volumes of the message the Christ child came to teach. Hope, Peace and Charity that never fails -these were His gifts to us, and the ones he implores us to give freely to others as well.
I rarely discuss my personal faith online. In part because my writing is always intended for ALL. I love people, no matter their religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, heritage or skin color. Love is simply love, so I try to always keep my pages as neutral as possible, so all feel welcome and accepted there. But also I don't talk about my faith often, because it is a continual work in progress. A journey that I am on that has not found an end as of yet. Perhaps it never will, and I am OK with that. Forgive me the indulgence on this particular Christmas though, after one of the hardest years of my life, to say that I can see now that for far too long I have left God standing at the door knocking. As I am reopening to let the Spirit in, I am finding beauty all around, and my heart is full of gratitude. In Him all is calm - all is bright.
The light from just one candle can begin to dispel darkness, and the smallest act of kindness can melt a heart and change a life. Christmas simply must be more than just a federal holiday and credit card frenzy. I pray that it becomes a way of living and being. Merry Christmas everyone.