Take time for the true meaning of Christmas

[blumen]

A seasonal interpretation of St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 1 to 13:

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on those I love the most, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child; love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband; love is kind, though harried and tired; love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens; love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way; love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But the gift of love will endure.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Connie]

That's very nice, Jim.

Thanks for reminding us that Chirstmas is really about love, the love that God had for us when He sent His Son.

 

[aileen_c]

Beautiful....just beautiful....

 

[DistinctiveFlorist]

Love it!!!!

 

[Twila]

thanks for the reminder. I am going to share this with others too.

 

[Dazeal]

Instead of giving you a 'thumbs up' I wanted to make it more persoanl by saying great post! Thank you.

Reading your second to last sentence reminded me of http://www.storyofstuff.com, which I encourage all of you to watch (The save the world and global warming hippy stuff is arguable, but not the facts presented about the USA's history of when we became lustful for stuff and how it happened... it is truly amazing history and a revelation to some as to how it has shaped who we are as consumers).

That video's message of our culture's pitiful need to consume and wisdom of the hollow stuff you spoke about not equaling love is good for my generation and the ones who've come after.

A lot of our minds in the US have been clouded by materialism and we lose the meaning of life.

One of my high school students was making fun of Mexico because they were technologically so far behind. I asked, who is more blessed, the family in Mexico sitting at the table talking about their day, or dinner time at your house while you play your video game eating your corn dog waiting for your dad to come home from his second job to pay for the new boat your family bought? - He said, I am more blessed, i have a Nintendo Wii and he is forced to talk to his parents at dinner time. We have so lost focus on the real deal. One good thing about this recession, some people will be slammed with reality and be forced to get their feet back on the ground. TY again for your post.