“I wish you a hopeful Christmas…”
Dateline: My home
“Christmas is not an external event at all, but a piece of one’s home that one carries in one’s heart”
— Freya Stark
There hangs on our Christmas tree this:
- The baby sneakers of both of our children who are now married and in their 30s.
- Fancy Hallmark ornaments made of glass mixed with homemade ornaments made of construction paper, Scotch Tape and staples.
- Ornaments from friends, and a couple still left that came as treasures from my wife’s and my parents.
- A dog bone ornament with Riley’s name on it, our beloved fur baby who just passed a couple weeks ago.
To many this is a Christmas tree.
To me, as I sit here alone in the dark lit only by tiny red and green bulbs, it is much more than a tree at Christmas.
To me, this is simply … a tree of life.
Ours.
“…I wish you…”
A few days ago I went on social media and asked this to those who follow me: “Tell me your Christmas wish.”
Of all the wishes that came in, I picked three that made me smile, that made me think and that made me wish as well.
I will identify two of the senders, one will remain anonymous, you’ll soon know why.
Here we go.
“…a brave New Year…”
“Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day.”
— Helen Steiner Rice
Comes this from a person whose name is not needed:
“I know that this isn’t your Christmas story but I just needed to make my Christmas wish … I pray for a Christmas miracle! Thanks for the opportunity to get this off my heart.”
The Christmas miracle this person is praying for does not involve toys, clothes, video games or any kind of material thing.
This prayer is for the abuse of a loved one to stop.
And yes it has been reported to the authorities, and yes it is within the judicial system.
A serial abuser, a serial pedophile … so there may be a score of other Christmas wishes along these same lines.
Abuse, you know, comes in all forms, comes many times from authority figures, comes many times from family members, comes many times from those most trusted.
I know this, all to well.
To damn well, from childhood.
Sure this might not be the Barbie doll or new bicycle type Christmas wish you thought you’d be reading about, and yes I thought of not including this.
I can, if you want, only talk about Xbox or iPad wishes, but in doing that, by ignoring this wish, I become as awful as those who abuse others.
If in your heart you hold Christmas, and the meaning of this day as sacred, then I ask only this from you here, take to your knees and say a prayer for this person so that their Christmas miracle may come true …
… say it with meaning, this prayer, say it loud, because trust me, this person on this day isn’t the only one on this planet wishing for this Christmas miracle.
And to you who sent me this, may your Christmas wish come true, may God read this as well, may you see in the comments how many people are praying for your wish to come true as well.
And to those who abuse others, know this, I believe that in life there are only two paths to take, one leads to salvation, one leads to damnation, you choose wrong.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…”
Isaiah 9:6-7
“…all anguish pain…”
Comes this Christmas wish from Jake Chambers:
“Be an answer to a stranger’s need … maybe even without their knowing who was a major part of their blessing.”
The true spirit of Christmas … giving with no strings or Christmas gift tag attached.
My neighbors across the street this year, the Wallaces sort of took Jake’s advice even though they don’t even know him and they decided to max out the COSTCO cashiers by filling up several shopping carts with toys for boys and girls, along with some clothes for the young kids … none of whom they know or will ever meet:
“We have plenty, our children are adults and they have all they need, this Christmas we want the gifts to be under the Christmas trees of those who could use some joy this year, ugh 2020 you know.”
Give unto others even if you have no idea who the others are. It should not matter.
Spread the love in your heart as far and as wide as you can, make Christmas be every day … to be honest, if you have faith I think the whole deal of faith is to make Christmas 24/7/365 for those known and unknown to you.
“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”
— C.S. Lewis
“…and sadness leave your heart…”
Comes this Christmas wish from Tom Branch Jr.:
“Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. May Jesus continue to protect us all. Merry Christmas to you and your family.”
I believe Jesus Christ, on who we celebrate this day with and about, I believe he had a middle name lost to history.
A middle name that we all carry with us, carry with us not so much on our credit cards or driver’s license, but carry within our heart.
And I believe his middle name to be this: Love.
Two-thousand and twenty years ago, or so, a child was born in a manger on the only planet in our solar system where children are born.
Born onto straw because there was no room at the Inn, as it is for so many of us as well.
And on every day since that day, that child, Jesus Christ is prayed to, is honored and gives comfort to almost a third of every human being alive on this planet.
I was baptized as a Catholic, took communion and married as a Catholic, last rites too unfortunately, but I don’t read the Bible, don’t go to church, don’t have much trust in any organized religion.
I do though believe with all my heart in one sentence that I have tried to live my entire life by and it is this:
“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — Jesus Christ
My wish for you this Christmas is simple … may love be your middle name.
May you love all you know, and all you don’t, whether you agree with them, or you don’t.
I think that’s what this whole deal is all about, why there is life on the only blue rock we’ve so far found in the cosmos.
Love wins, practice it and you will win as well. Love is the Christmas gift above all others.
And may I add two of my own Christmas wishes here as well:
I wish that all the people I know and love, and all the people I don’t know but also love … I wish for all of you, to be healthy and escape the scourge amongst us while spreading love wherever you may go.
And for me personally I wish only this on this Christmas …
… another fur baby to bring four-legged unconditional love back into our house.
Miss and love you, Riley.
Happy Birthday, Jesus … and thank you.
Merry Christmas,
Don, Barb, Ashley, Jimmy, Jake, Chelsea … and Riley in our hearts.
“…and let your road be clear.”
I Believe in Father Christmas
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more!”
Dr. Seuss
