by Kelly McCarty
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I remember when Brad and
Austin were very little, singing some Christmas songs. Austin finished "Silent Night" with the words, "Sleep in heavenly beans."
"No," Brad said, "not beans. Peas."
That memory reminds me of the wonderful and hectic holiday season many of us are approaching soon.
I've noticed that when people are asked what they want for Christmas, nine times out of ten, they answer with
something material. As I get older, I understand why Mom & Dad said
they didn't need anything. They were happy that the family got together
and that was enough. Now, I am not a rich person by any means, but if I
would like something, chances are I could afford it, but I find what I really want, I can't buy at all. I want peace of mind, peace of soul; the kind of peace you
have when you don't really want anything."
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What do YOU want for Christmas? Or if you don't celebrate Christmas, what do you want for your life. For your world?
For me, what I want cannot be bought or gift wrapped. What I want most can best be summed up in words like
"faith" and "hope" and
"love."
For myself, I want faith. Faith enough to see light in even the bleakest of situations. Faith enough to believe that goodness will
prevail in the end.
For my loved ones I want hope. Abundant hope. Hope in tomorrow. A hope that helps them believe that better times lay ahead so they can
take that next step.
For my world I want love. And I believe that the solutions to most of our biggest problems will only be found when we decide that we
are indeed one family. The problems of war, health care, crime in city streets, immigration and unemployment take on a different hue
when I am talking about my brothers and sisters whom I love dearly. Do you also want things you can't buy? What if we all decided to go
after those things this year that truly matter? That could be the greatest gift of all.
To all my Metro readers,
have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.
My final thought for 2009
is a letter from from Jesus about Christmas...
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