December 4, 2004
Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love,
a time when the love of God and the love
of our fellow men should prevail over all
hatred and bitterness, a time when our
thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our
lives manifest the presence of God.
~George F. McDougall~
Forgive Our Christmases...
By Patty Patterson
Jessica had a difficult day at the daycare. It was too cold to play outside and just before her turn to finger paint, Michael spilled the purple paint everywhere. And purple was her favorite color! And if that wasn't enough to frustrate a four year old, her best friend Amy also told her that they weren't friends anymore. She was so glad when her Mom came to pick her up!
Jessica tried to talk to her Mom about the events of the day, but her Mom put her off by saying she had a stressful day at work and didn't want to hear it.
Jessica tried talking to Mom again after dinner, but by then Mom was busy decorating for Christmas and wrapping packages. Jessica offered to help, but Mommy said, "No," and went into her room locking the door behind her.
That's when Jessica's daddy came home!
Jessica ran to her daddy hoping he would pick her up and put a great big Daddy-Sized hug around her heart! But, when she rounded the corner, she saw that her daddy had his hands full. He had been doing his Christmas shopping and there was now no room for Jessica in his arms.
"Daddy, do you want to see the picture I painted for you today?" Jessica asked. "It would be prettier if Michael hadn't spilled the purple paint. I wanted to put purple streaks in the sky but blue is pretty too. Isn't it Daddy?"
"Not now, Jessica!" said Jessica's dad as he sat the packages on the dining room table. "I've got to hide these presents before your mom sees them." And off went dad into the other room, leaving Jessica to entertain herself.
So with nothing to do and no one to talk to, Jessica decided to go ahead and get ready for bed. She went upstairs, took a bath, brushed her teeth and then crawled into bed and waited....and waited...and waited....until Mommy and Daddy finally came to tuck her in and listen to her say her bedtime prayer.
"Our Father which art in heaven,"
Jessica prayed!
"Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom comes. Thy will be done
In earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our Christmas's,
As we forgive those who Christmas against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever.
Amen."
As Jessica prayed the Lord's Prayer, she made an innocent mistake and at the same time a profound statement! How many times do we forget that the best gift we can give is a part of ourselves...our love...and our time...will have much more meaning in the long run than anything we can package and put under the tree!
May you all celebrate a Christmas that needs no forgiving this holiday season! And may each of you radiate with the love of Christ...the very best gift of all!
song playing....A Gift for All