Luke 21:1-4; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Matthew 2:11
It's not too late to give some things away this Christmas. Not just on Christmas Day, but during the days after December 25. We could call these daily gifts "our Christmas projects." Maybe one per day from now 'til the end of the year. Here are thirty-two suggestions. Take your choice.
• Mend a quarrel.
• Seek out a forgotten friend.
• Dismiss suspicion.
• Write a long-overdue love note.
• Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you so."
• Forgive an enemy.
• Be gentle and patient with an angry person.
• Express appreciation.
• Gladden the heart of a child.
• Find the time to keep a promise.
• Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously.
• Release a grudge.
• Listen.
• Speak kindly to a stranger.
• Enter into another's sorrow.
• Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
• Take a walk with a friend.
• Kneel down and pat a dog.
• Read a poem or two to your mate or friend.
• Lessen your demands on others.
• Play some beautiful music during supper.
• Apologize if you were wrong.
• Talk together with the television off.
• Treat someone to an ice-cream cone.
• Do the dishes for the family.
• Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt.
• Fix breakfast for someone on Saturday morning.
• Give a soft answer even though you feel strong.
• Encourage an older person.
• Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone you work with or live near.
• Offer to baby-sit for a weary mother.
• Give your teacher a break---be especially cooperative.
Let's make Christmas one long, extended gift of ourselves to others. Unselfishly. Without announcement. Or obligation. Or reservation. Or hypocrisy.
That is Christianity, isn't it?
Daily Smile:
During a visit to the retirement home, I asked the director, "How do you determine whether or not a person should be institutionalized?"
"Well," said the Director, "We fill up a bathtub, and then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."
"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
The Director responded “No, a normal person would pull the plug. Would you like a room with a window?”
"Well," said the Director, "We fill up a bathtub, and then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."
"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
The Director responded “No, a normal person would pull the plug. Would you like a room with a window?”
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