Opening the Christmas Gift
It’s happened again!! He has come again in a deeper way to a weary world, and to our own weary hearts! Remember as children, how we’d tiptoe to the tree to see if Santa had come—and then be elated by the signs that he was there? Well, this morning we check not OUTSIDE of us for the signs of the gift, but INSIDE.
In the quiet of our hearts, we listen for the signs that God has come, the long-awaited One, into the corners of our hearts. Can we sense the stillness? Can we catch a glimpse of our renewed desire to spread love? Can we hear the soft Voice stirring deep in our hearts? We have been longing for the hope, the light, the peace that only God can give…..and today God meets that longing with the gift of a miraculous birth of Love within each of us. That new grace has indeed come, and we will not be the same.
Beyond the trees and tinsel and light…beyond the gifts of family and friends…beyond everything around us is a silent, fresh Presence, awakening in us today in new and deeper ways.
The warmth of Christmas on the outside is a reflection of the deep grace of the Gift that has come to us on the inside. If we look outside of us for His coming, if we rely on the perfect gifts, the perfect family, the perfect day, we may be let down or even feel twinges of emptiness or loneliness. Many do at this time of year. Because the gift that has been given is an inside miracle, an inside outpouring of a Love alone that can fill our heart!
Sometime today, let us steal a few moments alone to ponder the miracle. Let us see if we can hear the soft whisper of God, hastening to remind us: “I come to Earth to love you, and walk beside you so you will not be alone. Today I remind you-- I am here with you always. You are my home.”
