Merry Christmas!

Well, it's about 6:30 on Christmas morning. I guess millions of children are dragging their parents out of bed to see what Santa brought. They don't realize their parents only got into bed 20 minutes ago. They've been up all night reading directions and trying to assemble various toys. I can't wait to have kids!

The world will arise this morning as one big global family. We all come from different walks of life, different backgrounds, different races. We may not know each other by name, but we are all family. Today, most will arise full of a different kind of spirit. A spirit of giving. A spirit of hope and joy. Everyone slows down just a little, and takes a glimpse outside themselves. We visit Grandma and buy gifts for cousin Fred. We laugh at Aunt Dottie and the mis-matched clothes she wears. Mom will soon be buzzing around the kitchen, cooking for an army. We all kind of come together today. People are more likely to speak in the grocery store and let you over in heavy traffic. Christmas lights twinkle all around. Why can't we have this same spirit all year?

We called the soup kitchen to find out how we could volunteer today. They told us they already had enough volunteers, and we wouldn't be needed. Imagine if they had that problem on a daily basis, not just at Christmas.

While I know this morning will be full of laughter and joy for so many, I am reminded that there are multitudes of people that are suffering this morning. Somewhere out there is a man with no home, sitting under an overpass, trying to keep warm, wishing he had a hot breakfast to wake up to. Someone is lying in a nursing home, and doesn't even realize it's Christmas. All of their memories of past Christmas' have been stolen from them by Alzheimer's. Yet others are filled with grief due to the death of a loved one or memories of past Christmas' that are filled with hurt, anger and sorrow.

What if we all stopped for just a minute today. Stopped and looked around, searched our busy minds for someone that needed a special touch today. Maybe while everyone is snoring in the living room after a huge meal, we could sneak away and bless someone else. Drop by for a short visit. Maybe take someone a piece of pie. Maybe even a phone call. I don't know. It's just a thought. Our world has such great potential. We could be so giving, so thoughtful, so friendly. I know we are capable. We do it once a year.

Last night our family spent time reflecting on Jesus and what a tremendous gift he is to us. My mom and I had picked out different passages from the Bible. Mom printed them out and we passed them around. We went around the room, taking turns reading them. Afterwards we each took turns praying. I can't tell you what a blessing it is to be able to sit and pray with my parents and grandparents. We were discussing the state of our country, families, kids, prayer in schools, etc. My grandmother was telling us how grateful she was to be able to say that everyone in her family was a believer. We stopped to think about it, and it's true. Me, my parents, all of my grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We're all Christians. I marvel to think that my family, going back for generations, has been raised in Christian homes. I couldn't have asked for a more special gift!

Whatever you do today, I hope you have a very special Christmas!