Another cold, blustery day in the heart of Hoosier land!! I have a blazing fire going while my children are starting to work on their schoolwork and I ponder what to get accomplished first. I live a blessed and abundant life. Unfortunately, there are those who are not so fortunate.
Every year, during the Christmas season, I always have good intentions of doing for others and not taking anything I have for granted. Usually, what happens, though, is that I get so busy with all the other activities that I put "others" on the back burner. This year, I have made it a point to step up and do something for others.
I am not a cook. I hate it with a passion! But my family has to eat, so I usually make something in the crock pot. However, I love to bake!! (Yeah, baking always includes more calories for me!) So, this year, I have decided to give my neighbors baked goods for Christmas. Some of them have lost loved ones, some have no children, others have a full house. There is actually a couple who live on our street that don't even speak to anyone. They are also on this list. I am actually pretty excited about this endeavor! I want to give not because I will get something in return (I do have great neighbors who are very giving, though!), but because it feels good.
There is a lesson to be learned by this attitude and it's taken a long time for me to get it. If we put ourselves in a place to serve others, our wants and needs diminish. We lose a little bit of that selfishness that holds each and everyone of us in bondage. We become a blessing to others, maybe even a prayer answered. There is nothing like giving a gift to others and watching to see the transformation in them take place. A frown is turned into a smile, a tear shed is replace by laughter. Even the most frozen person can begin to thaw out. What a wonderful thing!
So, during this Christmas season, my prayer for each of us is to overlook the bad attitudes, frowning faces, and frantic displays of rude shoppers, and begin to get back to the spirit of giving...and loving. Merry Christmas and God bless you all!
