age is really just a number

It’s that time year again we start thinking about the Christmas spirit and what Christmas means to each one of us. Making our lists and checking them twice. Oftentimes there is angst because of financial constraints and the inability to find the perfect present. The older I get, the more I realize that many of us have completely lost sight of the real meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about family and gratitude and more than anything grace. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

If you are one of those people that needs a little help to embrace the Christmas spirit, I have two suggestions for you.

The first suggestion is to actually make a list of all the things you’re grateful for. Especially focus on the people that you love and that love you. We all have our tribe, whether it is family, friends or even the four-legged kind.

After you have written your gratitude list, think of someone that you know that perhaps needs a little bit of encouragement at this time. This can be anything from the cleaning lady to one of your child’s teachers, to a patient, an elderly neighbor or even just the checkout lady at the local grocery store. Focus on that person and write a Christmas letter telling them why you are grateful that they’re in your life. 

The more random the person, the more that you will get out of this exercise. These are people we often forget I out busy lives. They are the background noise in our lives.

I wrote a letter to my cleaning lady thanking her for keeping my house clean and tidy so that I could spend more quality time with my youngest daughter instead of having to clean the house. I told her that I truly appreciated her work ethic, her pleasant demeanor, and her integrity. I trust her to show up on time and do a good job; and of course, not to steal for me. That trust has been built over the years and I’m truly grateful for her. I also left her little gift card as a thank you. Funny, the handwritten letter thanking that person for being in your life and tell them why you are grateful for them is often so much more powerful than any gift you could ever get them.

The beauty of a thank you especially at Christmas time is very potent. I encourage you to write a few thank you notes in your own handwriting to some of the people around you that you perhaps forget to say thank you to. God’s grace is abounding and the power of a thank you can be life-changing.

Spend this Christmas time blessed and grateful. It’s not about presents, it’s about Jesus. You have already received the greatest gift of God’s grace and forgiveness.