Daily Devotional

Of all the churches we’ve visited on our trips to the Holy Land, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is my absolute favorite. Our first trip in early January 1998 happened to coincide with the Orthodox celebration of Christmas. Seeing the homes of Palestinian Christians decorated with a string of lights helped get me into the Christmas spirit. I stepped inside the basilica and was immediately struck by a sense of the ancient: the worn columns on both sides, the chancel covered by tarnished gold lamps and iconography, and the smell of incense. Directly underneath the chancel’s altar is the Grotto of the Nativity, under the church’s main altar. There are short staircases on either side of the chancel, and there you are. A 14-point star set in the marble flooring marks the traditional spot of Jesus’ birth…

At times for my family, Advent has lost its true meaning. When my family hears Advent is beginning, we hear that a busy season is among us. We focus on all the other stuff: classroom parties for our kids, multiple family celebrations, Christmas programs, gift buying for all the people we love in our lives, and so much more. It becomes a scheduling nightmare because we get bogged down with everything else.

But that is not the true meaning of Advent. Advent is not a time to feel so incredibly overwhelmed due to extracurricular activities…

When I think about the wonderful time leading up to the great celebration of Christmas, I cannot help but think about my mom. We affectionately referred to my mom as “Mrs. Christmas.” She started working on Christmas day in September. She made a plan and worked so hard to make that day special for everyone in my family, and I have a big family! The plan for Christmas was kept on a small, yellow legal pad. She would keep her to-do-list, adding to her chores daily, and marking off items often. She worked so hard to make it perfect.

By the time Christmas day arrived, my mother was, well… exhausted…

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Ghost of Christmas future shows Scrooge what would happen without change.

THE LAST OF THE SPIRITS

The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air throughwhich this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery.

It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But for this it would have been difficult

to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.

He felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread. He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.

“I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?” said Scrooge.

The Spirit answered not, but pointed downward with its hand.

“You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us,” Scrooge pursued. “Is that so, Spirit?”

My past is something that I used to struggle with a lot. I have made many mistakes. I made mistakes in my personal and professional life. I have always been a hard worker and have a good work ethic, but the one thing I struggled with was friendships. I wanted lots of friends, and always wanted to be out and about having fun. I wanted to be part of a group of “in” girls. I tried way too hard!

One day, a friend of my mother’s saw the inward struggles I was having, and I will never forget the words she said to me that day…

When delivering a Meals on Wheels meal to one of our clients recently, I was greeted by a very gentle message from the recipient – she said, “God bless you” as I handed over the meal. I paused, and smiled and responded with emphasis, “No, God bless you.” Then she stopped and said, “Well, God can bless us both!” We had a chuckle, and both nodded in agreement, and I went on my merry way to the next delivery.

Throughout that day and many times since, I have noticed that many clients greet us or say thank you with the simple words, “God bless you” or “Bless you.” Sometimes, I am sure it may just be an easy response…

As a child growing up, our family loved watching Christmas movies together. We would take turns picking out some ofthe classic movies and sitting down in the living room to watch them and get in the Christmas spirit. Every year we would watch A Christmas Carol and take the journey with Ebeneezer Scrooge through the past, present, and future. We would usually pick the 1984 version starring George C. Scott as Scrooge.

When I was young, I always hated when we got to the part where the “Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come” entered the scene. After seeing the way that Ebeneezer Scrooge treated people in the past and present, I understood that the ghost was simply showing him the consequences of his actions, but as a kid it made the future seem so scary. I think that’s how many of us feel; the future is unknown, it’s mysterious, and it can be scary.

I wonder if that’s how Mary and Joseph felt that first Christmas…

The story of Ebenezer Scrooge is one that I’ve always found fascinating. He is the grumpy main character in the book, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The premise of the story seems to be that Scrooge has no time for anyone and hates everything that he considers frivolous about Christmas. However, there is more to Scrooge than first appears. Initially, it’s obvious that Scrooge is stingy, greedy, and unfriendly.

I can’t help but feel for him because these traits leave him all alone. In the story, we see the trauma he endured at a young age…

The story of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one I think about often during the holiday season. The hustle and bustle of it all, partnered with reflection and hope for a new year. It is easy to let it all pass without really sitting down to ponder where life was, where it is now, and what direction it will be heading. I’ve thought, “What if the spirit of ‘Sarah Past’ showed up to teach me a lesson for the here and now or even the future?” I would love to say it would be a pleasant visit with only the hope of a bright future. While I reflect fondly on my past for the most part, the reality is my past, like others, is riddled with poor choices, wayward paths, and guilt about more than a few decisions…