Christmas Every Day
/If you are a typical person, you are taking some very deep breaths and expressing gratitude that the holidays are “finally over.” You have gone to someone’s party, had relatives over, cooked for you and lots of extra people, shopped for gifts that you could only hope would make each person happy, settled for gift cards when you just couldn’t think of what to get some people, sent out cards to friends and family, tried to keep up with everyday chores, eaten junk food, sweets, and baked goodies until you couldn’t even look at them again. Christmas was finally over for you! I had a good excuse for not going out to parties, but I did go to a couple of places with Jackie and my highlight was attending Worship here at UCH. For me, I had time for reflection and I am still celebrating what Christmas is about for me. Below, I am going to paraphrase something Bishop Steven Charleston wrote:
“Last week was Christmas, a day of special intention in my Spiritual Life, not only to celebrate God in my life, but to consider how much our ‘partnership’ has taught me, how much God has taught me about being able to share, about listening, about the constant discovery of another person’s way of seeing and believing, about the endless openness of love, about changing and growing my life with God without ever altering my commitment or compassion, and able to withstand the hard times and embrace the moments of joy. It is The Great Mystery of two souls still dancing to the melody of time. I am more grateful every Christmas and every Christmas more in awe. If I know anything about the path ahead, it is God who has shown me.”
I altered this quote very freely, and it reflects what I experience at Christmas and how I celebrate Christmas all year long. God is my partner and never lets me down. The gift of Christmas continues to grow with me all through the year. Christmas has carried me through the last two years and challenged me to grow in ways I never imagined.
I hope that by sharing my Christmas experiences, you will find yours.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! May your days, weeks, months and years be filled with this Spirit. -Chris L.
