It’s the most wonderful time of the year

For some people, Christmas can be a time of the year that they’d rather not have to think about.

They may even want to avoid it.

The commercialism, and inappropriate values associated with it, can lead people to feel that the only meaning to be found in Christmas is the power of the mighty dollar.

Yet at the heart of Christmas is the gift of sharing and love that we offer one another.

For me, the feeling of Christmas is unique to that of any other celebration. That feeling can only be experienced at Christmas because it’s one of very few spiritual and social celebrations almost all the world participates in. Once a year, every year.

And so it has the potential to truly be a wonderful and joy-filled time.

At this time of year, I love spending time preparing for Christmas in all sorts of different ways, and of course decorating our home is an important one.

It reminds everyone that Christmas is on its way.

My granddaughters enthusiastically look through all the decorations with me, helping me choose just where each one should go.

Excitement builds rapidly as we go about placing each item with care and, as we do so, opportunities arise for us to discuss the real meaning of Christmas.

It’s so wonderful seeing the innocence and joy children bring to the Christmas season.

And we can find that spirit of Christmas within ourselves too.

When we shift our focus from all that is wrong and inappropriate about how the world has used this celebration to make money and turn our thoughts back its true meaning, it becomes a time where peace, love and joy can be found.

The arrival of Jesus in the world brought us a message of hope, the hope that we can be for each other a source of nourishment, love and support.

And what could be more relevant to us now than the need for hope?

You don’t need me to point out the many heartbreaking situations occurring in the world at present.

We’re all acutely aware of the many distressing conditions plaguing humanity right now.

Most of us feel the sense of unnecessary waste and absence of love, as hope is being lost in this worn out world.

But we can find hope in the message Jesus brought us: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’.

A message our tattered world needs desperately to invoke.

And by involving ourselves with full intent with our family and all the other celebrations we attend, we become a source of hope too.

As we move towards Christmas, whether with enthusiasm or dread, we might find it helpful to reflect on Christ’s message of love.

Any gesture, large or small, made with the intent of being kind and loving to our fellow man and all other forms of sentient life, spreads vibrations of goodness and gentleness not only to them but into the ethers, too.

We create the miracle of Love, Peace and Joy.

It’s up to us. Let’s not waste a moment.

Make this Christmas a wonderful and peace-filled time for yourself and those you love.

This Christmas, if you’d like to make a change towards a more loving embrace of its true meaning, then this blessing is for you:

With all my love
Karen x

Image credit: Cliff