The Christmas season can prove to be a lonely one for many elderly folks. Christmas without family is like peanut butter without jelly, cold without snow, music without melody… A few weeks ago a group of teens and their families visited the Ridgewood Nursing Home, with the simple goal of bringing joy by way of song. Shuffling through the halls of Ridgewood it was clear that staff members had made great efforts to deck the home with Christmas cheer. There wasn’t a direction you could look without noticing one decoration or another. The general mood wasn’t one of loneliness or despair, the various tenants were all seemingly quite content. However, as the group of cheerful carolers paraded into their sight a fresh atmosphere of pure joy filled the air. It’s easy for us to take for granted the array of familiar Christmas tunes that we hear year after year, singing them can become just another festivity, but to those older men and women at the home they were a glimmering symbol of love.
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StandBOLD ~ Mike V.
Now ensues what many folks would claim to be, “The most wonderful time of year”. Parents shop as temperatures drop, lights are strung, halls are decked, letters are written, and lists are made. It seems that, for a few weeks, the whole world is bonded together with a sense of overwhelming joy. When saturated from all sides with “good will” and “holiday cheer” it becomes so easy to forget that not everyone celebrates Christ’s birth with blessings equal to our own. Even with economic troubles, or political rifts, most of us enjoy long-lasting guarantees of a comfortable everyday lifestyle.
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As Christians our goal should be to reflect God’s love on His creation. In John chapter twenty-one Jesus asked Peter, three times, whether he loved Him. Peter answered each time, “Yes, Lord”, and to each affirmation Jesus replied, “Then feed my sheep.” If we claim to love God, then we must use the blessings He provides us to tend to His sheep. This applies to our lives every day of the year, but Christmas is a season marked by giving, a time meant to warm hearts and bring people closer together. It can serve as an excellent opportunity to clothe the poor, feed the hungry, or comfort the broken. The best gift we can give Christ on His birthday is to reach out to His children. Over the next few weeks we’d like to highlight some organizations that are doing just that! If you know of any awesome events or outreaches that are providing hope to the physically, emotionally, or spiritually needy let us know!
StandBOLD ~ Mike V.
