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Christmas is almost here and family and friends are getting together. It’s a celebration of love all over the world. The gift to the world was a baby over 2,000 years ago and Christian faiths will bow their heads in holy worship to Jesus Christ, who came into the world to show us love. Others will pause to celebrate in their own private ways and different faiths knowing it’s a time to give and be more kind. The spirit of that gift of love is still felt today and alive centuries after for all.
Can you imagine how different the world was back then, when a man with his expectant wife traveled at night on foot and by donkey through narrow, dusty mountainous paths to get to the more populous town, Bethlehem? Government requirements were demanding, even back then. It didn’t matter that his wife was pregnant and they had to go far from home. He needed to find a safe place for his wife to give birth. Times became treacherous for them after and they had to flee for the safety of their newborn son.
We couldn’t be more worlds apart today than then and, yet, there’s much that is still the same. Still, there are those traveling on foot with their families to be safe and get to a better place. We all want to have what’s best for the ones we love, be warm, work, eat and enjoy our friends, family and watch our children grow as we get older. Not much on that has changed throughout time just the forms they come in.
Through all the commercialism and rushing around to get everything done, there’s magic and a different spirit at Christmas. I can feel it in the air and see it on the faces of people in the stores and streets. Of course, there’s more sparkle in the eyes of children as they burst with glee in anticipation of Santa.
Christmas Tree Lights © 2013 Pat Ruppel
No matter what someone may be going through, I feel grace and compassion in the attempts to love and feel loved, when it’s hard. It’s there and especially strong at Christmas. People are helping people with love. It fills my heart with hope that it will always be there.
Merry Christmas to all of you and God Bless in the New Year!
Pat from the ol’ kitchen table
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