As the man drove away, my heart was heavy for him. I said a prayer that he would arrive safely to where he was going and that he would have a warm house and a good home-cooked meal waiting for him. Then I started thinking of all the people outside of my windows. How many of them don’t have a home or warm clothes or food? How many of them need a job? How many of them might have a terminally ill family member and though they know their days together are limited, they are thankful for every minute they have left? How many of them won’t have a Christmas tree full of ornaments and lights, let alone any gifts to put under such a tree? How many of them struggle just to make it through to the next day?
I think God sent that man by my house yesterday for a reason. To make me realize that no matter what battles I may be dealing with, however bad I think things may be, and no matter what my financial situation may be, there are others out there who would love to be in my place.
Let’s make Christmas a little different this year. Let’s all take a little extra time opening our gifts, not just tearing into them and throwing the paper wherever it may land. Let’s all put a little more emphasis on being thankful for the things we have received. Let’s all enjoy our family time a little more, sharing more hugs. And let’s all remember there really is a world outside our windows that we can all learn from.
I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and may you be blessed with a happy and healthy year in 2016!
God bless you!