Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Tomorrow is Christmas eve. All through my childhood a night that was more magical than Christmas itself. It is one of my favorite nights of the year. Tomorrow night we celebrate with The Vaughn/Rice clan. Tomorrow will be spent cooking, doing crafts and wrapping last minute gifts. Spent with family close and friends in our hearts.

I'm 35 years old and I'm still not over the magic of Christmas. I never will be. As a child it was full of fun, candy and presents. A kid's dream. As an adult it was full of family and love and good memories. As a Christian it is a time of hope and wonderful reminders that Jesus loved us enough to come to earth. I can't get over it...I hope I never do. The King of Kings came down as a little baby, he went through all we go through...just because He loved us. That means He knows what I feel like when I feel cold and lonely. What I feel like when I see my friends faces after a long time apart. He knows how it feels to not sleep enough. To walk down a dusty road. To read a book. To hug and to care. He knows what it's like to be hungry. All these little things that make us human....He came and experienced them too, just because He loved us. If that does not blow your mind, you need a better mind.

My father preached one of the best sermons I have ever heard this morning. Peace on earth, good will toward men. He told a story of a man who was waiting on Jesus to come and dine with him. And the doorbell rang, and standing there was a ragged man, no shoes and cold. He invited him in, gave him shoes and a warm coat and then the man was on his way. Then, not long later, an old woman was at the door...just looking for a bit of rest. He invited her in and served her food and bade her to rest until she felt strong enough to continue with her journey. She too, left. Then the man heard a small voice asking for help and he opened his door to find a little child who was lost. He took the child home. When he came back, the day was gone and he was disappointing that he had not dined with Jesus. But as he prayed and asked the Lord why He had not come and dined with him, the Lord answered, I did come...in the man with no shoes and the woman looking for rest and the child who was lost. And you cared for me and gave me shoes and rest and showed me the way home. How many times do we do that? We say we do it all the time, but do we really? When someone drops something in Walmart...do we walk on by or do we bend down and pick it up for them? Little things like that make a difference in the lives of others. When you look back on your life it will not be the big things that stand out...but all those little things that seemed very unimportant at the time. Those are the things that make us who we are...those are the fabric of our lives. That is how we show Jesus to others...in the small things. Ripples in a pond always start out small...but they spread. That small ripple will continue to grow until it touches the very edges of the pond. Just as the small kindness you show someone will grow in their heart until it reaches the very core of their soul.

So, as you go through all the magic that is Christmas, remember the small things. Our lives are made up of small things. They grow and make us who we are...they touch every life around us. What do your small things say about you?