He Came Back For Me
Matthew 18:3 “And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.’”
As we approach Christmas, I am reminded of something that God let me witness last year. As I was walking through a crowded mall, I was ambushed by a little girl in blonde pigtails. She was screaming at the top of her lungs with excitement and running full speed towards the North Pole booth, “Santa!!!!! It’s Santa!!! He came back for me!!!!!”
This scene immediately brought tears to my eyes because there is something so magical about Christmastime. Every year, I am reminded of how rare this feeling is — how rare the joy and gratitude surrounding the season feels. I wonder how different our world would be if the spirit of Christmas guided everyone’s hearts all year round. How magical would it be if we all returned to that child-like state of pure excitement for the smallest things and had generosity towards all? What if we were as on fire for Christ’s return as the little girl at the mall was for Santa’s?
Christmas is magical because it is the holiday of love. It represents innocence and good news. It is the season of miracles.
But we are not elves, and God doesn’t just need our hearts to be on fire for him for a couple of weeks out of the year. He needs us to take the lessons from Christmastime and hold onto them for all 365 days. We cannot afford to turn back into grinches and scrooges once January 1st hits. We have a mission to bring love, joy, and light into our communities on the darkest of days.
What can you be more mindful of as we embark on a new year? How can you bring the magic of Christmas into your life and into the lives of others all year round?
Prayer: Father, may you stir up the Holy Spirit inside of me this Christmas and for the rest of my time here on this earth. May I rise above the noise and remember that Jesus came to give me eternal life — a gift I cannot afford to shrug off. May you guide me as I move into 2024 with the intention of leading with love, gratitude, and generosity. Bless the words I speak to others. Bless the steps I take. Bless my finances and resources so that I can give just as Christ gave up His life for mine. In Jesus’ name, amen.
As we approach Christmas, I am reminded of something that God let me witness last year. As I was walking through a crowded mall, I was ambushed by a little girl in blonde pigtails. She was screaming at the top of her lungs with excitement and running full speed towards the North Pole booth, “Santa!!!!! It’s Santa!!! He came back for me!!!!!”
This scene immediately brought tears to my eyes because there is something so magical about Christmastime. Every year, I am reminded of how rare this feeling is — how rare the joy and gratitude surrounding the season feels. I wonder how different our world would be if the spirit of Christmas guided everyone’s hearts all year round. How magical would it be if we all returned to that child-like state of pure excitement for the smallest things and had generosity towards all? What if we were as on fire for Christ’s return as the little girl at the mall was for Santa’s?
Christmas is magical because it is the holiday of love. It represents innocence and good news. It is the season of miracles.
But we are not elves, and God doesn’t just need our hearts to be on fire for him for a couple of weeks out of the year. He needs us to take the lessons from Christmastime and hold onto them for all 365 days. We cannot afford to turn back into grinches and scrooges once January 1st hits. We have a mission to bring love, joy, and light into our communities on the darkest of days.
What can you be more mindful of as we embark on a new year? How can you bring the magic of Christmas into your life and into the lives of others all year round?
Prayer: Father, may you stir up the Holy Spirit inside of me this Christmas and for the rest of my time here on this earth. May I rise above the noise and remember that Jesus came to give me eternal life — a gift I cannot afford to shrug off. May you guide me as I move into 2024 with the intention of leading with love, gratitude, and generosity. Bless the words I speak to others. Bless the steps I take. Bless my finances and resources so that I can give just as Christ gave up His life for mine. In Jesus’ name, amen.