I love the holiday season. There’s so much giving going on and appreciation being shown. Charity abounds and it’s rewarding when you get to see it in action. People all over spend the season giving in to the Spirit of love and hope, spreading peace and good will to others. You gotta love all those good tidings:
I saw one man in a local Wal-Mart shopping for bargains on kids’ clothes to send to an orphanage in Mexico. While pretty dresses and handsome outfits may have filled his cart, LOVE filled his heart.
Another man, motivated by KINDNESS, walked into a department store and paid off all the Christmas layaways on file.
Elsewhere a woman spent days making holiday decorations, then taking them to a local nursing home. She carefully delivered just one decoration at a time, making time to stop with conversation and an ear for those wanting to tell their story; her heart is filled with GENTLENESS and PATIENCE.
In a school nearby, a volunteer team gets up extra early once again to serve free breakfast to kids arriving to school hungry. This time, a special menu is planned. The breakfast cooks are stirring up some holiday fun for the kids and spreading some JOY of their own.
Somewhere else, a local church fills boxes of Christmas tidings for soldiers serving in war-torn areas, sharing a bit of holiday PEACE in their own way.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations across the region will shine because of the FAITHFULNESS of those who prepare it all, in the midst of their own holiday plans.
For many, it is clearly a struggle to even provide the gifts they so desire to give. Cutting back here and there to give to others demonstrates the power of SELF CONTROL.
Love for others spreads and GOODNESS is revealed far and wide as people provide gifts for the needy at Christmastime.
It is encouraging to notice all of these attributes during the holidays. You may have noticed that each of these attributes shown in caps (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) are named biblically as the fruits of the Spirit. The spirit of Christmas often reveals the Spirit of Christ as many seek to honor Him during his birthday celebration. May you be truly blessed this holiday season as you soak up the holiday Spirit. Happy Holidays to all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
