Christmas Thoughts

Last night...after a busy day of shopping, baking, wrapping and decorating...I had a bit of quiet time to just sit and think about Christmas and all the hardships and blessings my family has gone through over the years. I thought of the Christmas I moved to PA with my mother and my three children after a divorce from an abusive husband. We had little money, but were able to buy each child one gift and make them each a decorator pillow for their bed. Their stockings were filled with nuts, fruit and one small chocolate treat. We had a small tree and decorated it with popcorn and cranberries (no money for lights) and made paper snowflakes for the windows. I made a straw wreath for the door. I made one too for my sister in California and we sent it along with a cassette tape that Mom, the kids and I made singing Carols by the piano and entertaining each other with a little Christmas skit.
At the time, my mother and I thought it was a disappointing Christmas for the kids. Before that year (1985) Christmas Eve was spent with lots of family and friends at my Aunt Dot's in Southern California and the children usually had quite a few gifts on Christmas morning. That first year in PA was a hard one, but taught us many lessons on life and what was important. Now that they are grown the children remember that Christmas as one of their most memorable holidays ever.
Today I am thinking of my son who is serving in Okinawa. This will be his first Christmas away from home. He is certainly safe and will be coming home in January, but my prayer for him...and for all the servicemen and women who will be spending Christmas away from home... is that they will find comfort in time spent with friends and memories of holidays at home, that they will be able to find a safe, quiet place to rest and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday and that the Lord will protect them and bring them home safely when their tours are over.
This year especially, I pray for the mending of broken family relationships and the strengthening of healthy ones. I pray for the prodigals to come home and for parents to welcome them with open arms and for us all to open our hearts to the possibilities of what can be if we are willing to be Jesus to one another in a dark world.
Have a Blessed Christmas!
Carol