Well it’s finally here, it’s Christmas time! Yay! I love Christmas it’s my favorite time of the year, I love everything about it, The Grinch, Christmas candy, the music, the Christmas cartoons & movies, doing special events with my family & all that come with this great time of year. Many say it’s “the most wonderful time of the year” there’s even a song about that, & though that is true for many, for some it’s also the hardest time of the year.
A few years ago I read some statistics that really shocked me, it said that suicide rates are higher between Thanksgiving & New Years than any other time of the year. I was blown away by that, because my whole life that has been one of the happiest times of the year for me, but to know for many it’s the most sad & lonely is heartbreaking. I found out that people struggle with depression & stress the most during this time of year also. Isn’t it sad that what is supposed to be, “the most wonderful time of year” becomes an overbearing burden for some, that drives them into despair that emotionally overwhelms them?
My wife was telling me today of a family that her work is helping for Christmas who has nothing, it’s a single mother & her two teenage daughters who have spent the last several months living in a homeless shelter because they had nowhere to go. How hard it must be for them this time of year, & to know that there are so many more like them out there that are struggling the same way, meanwhile many of us so blessed we have more than enough. So what do we do? Well I want to offer you a challenge today.
I believe if we are Christians it is our obligation to be God’s hands to the world around us everyday. I have said many times that it’s not what we do inside the church that makes the difference, it’s what we do in our everyday life with the people that God puts in our pathway everyday that really matters. So will you reach out with me this holiday season to help make a difference in the lives of those who really need to experience God’s love & hope? That’s what Christmas is all about, it’s about HOPE, that’s what happened on that Holy Night when Jesus came to this Earth, He gave us HOPE that we would not have had without Him. Now it’s our turn to be the HOPE to the world around us by showing God’s love & compassion to those who are hurting & struggling this time of year. What an opportunity we have right now to make an impact in someone’s life right now during this special season. Maybe you can’t afford to buy someone presents that need them for their kids, maybe you can, or maybe you could visit someone who is lonely, go pray for someone who is sick, or just simply pick the phone & call someone to let them know they are cared about & missed. There is so much we can do if we really want to. I often hear people say, “what can I do to help someone or make a difference?” Truth is if we stop & look around there are opportunities waiting for us everywhere if we really want to touch a life with God’s love.
I challenge you during this holiday season to step out of your comfort zone & ask God to use you to help make someone else Christmas better this year. Look for those opportunities to help others, be God’s hands to the world around you. While you & your family are enjoying this special time of year don’t forget to try to help make this “the most wonderful time of the year” for someone who desperately needs some hope, & I know God will help us to do it & bless us through it also.
Well it’s finally here, it’s Christmas time! Yay! I love Christmas it’s my favorite time of the year, I love everything about it, The Grinch, Christmas candy, the music, the Christmas cartoons & movies, doing special events with my family & all that come with this great time of year. Many say it’s “the most wonderful time of the year” there’s even a song about that, & though that is true for many, for some it’s also the hardest time of the year.
A few years ago I read some statistics that really shocked me, it said that suicide rates are higher between Thanksgiving & New Years than any other time of the year. I was blown away by that, because my whole life that has been one of the happiest times of the year for me, but to know for many it’s the most sad & lonely is heartbreaking. I found out that people struggle with depression & stress the most during this time of year also. Isn’t it sad that what is supposed to be, “the most wonderful time of year” becomes an overbearing burden for some, that drives them into despair that emotionally overwhelms them?
My wife was telling me today of a family that her work is helping for Christmas who has nothing, it’s a single mother & her two teenage daughters who have spent the last several months living in a homeless shelter because they had nowhere to go. How hard it must be for them this time of year, & to know that there are so many more like them out there that are struggling the same way, meanwhile many of us so blessed we have more than enough. So what do we do? Well I want to offer you a challenge today.
I believe if we are Christians it is our obligation to be God’s hands to the world around us everyday. I have said many times that it’s not what we do inside the church that makes the difference, it’s what we do in our everyday life with the people that God puts in our pathway everyday that really matters. So will you reach out with me this holiday season to help make a difference in the lives of those who really need to experience God’s love & hope? That’s what Christmas is all about, it’s about HOPE, that’s what happened on that Holy Night when Jesus came to this Earth, He gave us HOPE that we would not have had without Him. Now it’s our turn to be the HOPE to the world around us by showing God’s love & compassion to those who are hurting & struggling this time of year. What an opportunity we have right now to make an impact in someone’s life right now during this special season. Maybe you can’t afford to buy someone presents that need them for their kids, maybe you can, or maybe you could visit someone who is lonely, go pray for someone who is sick, or just simply pick the phone & call someone to let them know they are cared about & missed. There is so much we can do if we really want to. I often hear people say, “what can I do to help someone or make a difference?” Truth is if we stop & look around there are opportunities waiting for us everywhere if we really want to touch a life with God’s love.
I challenge you during this holiday season to step out of your comfort zone & ask God to use you to help make someone else Christmas better this year. Look for those opportunities to help others, be God’s hands to the world around you. While you & your family are enjoying this special time of year don’t forget to try to help make this “the most wonderful time of the year” for someone who desperately needs some hope, & I know God will help us to do it & bless us through it also.
