It is that wonderful time of year again. Christmas. I love the lights, the music, and all of the festivities that go along with it. I remember as a kid, my Christmas list was multiple pages. I would grab the Sears Christmas catalog and pour through it over and over again. My Christmas list generally had the name of the toy as well as the catalog page and item number listed, just to make sure there was no confusion on what I wanted. In retrospect, I could have just handed mom and dad the entire catalog and not wasted so much of my valuable play time.
This time of year, we are all thinking about getting and giving gifts. As we get older, it is not as much the getting as it is the giving. (Just so there is no confusion here, I do still enjoy getting gifts.) There is great joy in giving and seeing the smile on the faces of those getting the gifts. This is also the time of year when I begin to reflect on the year and what I have and haven’t accomplished as well as look to the new year and begin to set goals for what I want to do over the next 12 months.
I was thinking about that this week and about this blog. Six and a half days. I reminded myself of what that title meant. As a Christian, life is not about what we do the half day on Sunday morning when we head to church, shake a few hands, sing a few songs, listen to someone talk for a bit and head back out to our daily lives. Life and our relationship with God is more about what happens the other six and a half days. What defines who we are is what we do every day of the week.
As I was thinking through this last year, I realize how little of my time was spent in giving. Maybe it is just a season of life I am in. There was a time when most of my time was spent serving my home church and the community. But I think, more than the season I am in, that perhaps I have lost my purpose a little bit. I know what I should be doing, but I am too busy taking care of myself and my family to do it.
As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting
is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they
ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
James 4:16-17
The Christmas season is looked to as the season for giving, but it seems to me that every season is the season for giving. Christmas season is kind of like the Sunday morning. It is easy to give when that is what is expected of us and everyone else is doing it. What about the other 10 1/2 months of the year? What about the other six and a half days? What gifts do you have to offer? Get plugged into a church and your community and find out where you can use your gifts.
Join me this next year as I renew my commitment to live life every day.
Comment below on your ideas and thoughts for serving the community you live in. How do you live life every day?
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!!! it is better to give as you so noted as we get older. I want to spend more time with God this next year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too. Thanks for sharing.
Wow! You are really good at writing and at provoking thought. Thank you for your messages this year. I love you! Wanda
Thanks for reading. Hope you had a great Christmas.