I cling...

As Christmas Day nears, I have so many emotions, I can hardly rest. I have become keenly aware of so many people who are finding it hard to grab the part of Christ mas that matters most. In fact, He is the only part that truly matters. To say He is the reason for the season sounds cliche…

Please don't get me wrong. I love Christmastime more than anyone I know. If I just sat in my home each  night & stared at my tree, I would be content. I find meaning in that tree. I have my manger scene displayed on my mantle. That says it all for me. That's enough.

But…then I take a glance outside my door (& even inside my own door), & I realize (without a doubt), that if we didn't have this part of Christ mas that matters, we would have nothing at all. If this Baby Jesus weren't born in a cave so long ago, we would not have HOPE. Without the HOPE that He brings, I would surely shrivel up & die.

Life is hard, & that's all I know. Yesterday, I looked into the eyes of a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer. I know that fear. It's is so real to me, even 3 years later, my heart cried. I felt sick. I recently visited with my 68 pound friend who's body has been ravaged by cancer & treatment. My heart breaks. She is dear to my soul.

I have friends who's teens struggle. Again, my heart hurts. That pain is unbearable. I am consciously aware of those who have so little. When I visited Chicago, I read the signs displayed by the suffering. I must admit, it was daunting. It was hard for me to eat my meal & not think about those starving souls, so broken in every way.

The clock keeps ticking, the suffering continue to suffer, the homeless continue to live in the cold (alone) with maybe a blanket or two. Kind hearted souls are tormented by their own thoughts. Hopelessness surrounds us. It swallows us up & tries to dissolve the ONLY HOPE we have.

As I walk through this life. I face my trials. Some of them make me want to crawl in a hole & isolate myself. As I look outside my door, the trials of those I know are even more overwhelming than my own. And… what about the souls who suffer around the world that I don't even know?

So… I bake my cookies. I lovingly decorate each one. I bye gifts for those I love. Yes…I get carried away. I pray for those who hurt. I absorb the Christmas music. I walk amongst the hustle & bustle. It does put a little ginger in my step. I cling to my Christ. He is the ONLY HOPE I know.