Packaged Perfectly

I've been thinking a lot lately about Christmas...

...I thought about what it was like to grow up in a home without the celebrations virtually everyone else was partaking in, I remember my first Christmas as a Christian, my first Christmas as a step-mom, and then years later as a mom.

It is pretty safe to say that my memory bank is virtually full...of course, I'm still keeping some room for the new memories to come and stay.

Then I started to think deeper...I wondered what other people were thinking...

...I wondered about the family who lost their son two years ago to suicide...the family that will be going through their second Christmas without their child...

...I wondered about another family who lost their son this past summer...their first Christmas without their child...

...and then, the family with five children (aged 2-9) who tragically lost their mom in a car accident a few weeks ago...

...or the family with a young toddler whose mom died just a few days ago due to carbon monoxide poisoning...father and son, who I believe may still be hospitalized...

...and then about the family whose father died this morning...

I thought and thought about these and all of the other tragedies that surround our lives daily...some becoming more and more acceptable to society.

I had to ask myself about the pain some people must be faced with this Christmas. I have never felt that kind of pain. I pray I never will. I can't imagine feeling the pain of losing a child, due to illness, accident, or any other reason.

This made me think of another father...a father who sent a gift for you and me. I accepted that gift more than 10 years ago, but each year is like my first Christmas...simply because I have the passion to remember.

This leads me to a question or two for you...

When you open up those packaged perfectly gifts what will you and your family be thinking of? Where is your passion?

Merry CHRISTmas. I pray you have many blessings and give abundantly back.