by 
Friday, December 23
Yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart.
From In the Bleak Midwinter
By Jami H.
It’s so true that when winter’s darkness comes, our spirits feel shrouded, gloomy. We awaken in the dark and leave work at day’s end in the dark. Too often, the blustery wind moves us from place to place without our even looking up at the world around us. We hunker down, waiting for spring’s call. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Today’s Christmas song paints a vivid picture of the harsh, unwelcoming world to which Jesus was born: “Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.” Times back then were much tougher. Furnaces? Indoor plumbing? Insulated snow boots? Not so much. Yet, Mary knew what was important and “worshipped the beloved with a mother’s kiss.” And the shepherds and wise men gave freely of what they did have. They paid no attention to their cruel conditions; rather, they focused on the gift of the Christ child, and, in turn, gave what they could in humbleness and gratitude.
What if we did the same? What if, every single dark day this winter, we awakened with the thought of giving ourselves, our hearts, to Christ for the day? Wouldn’t the days seem brighter, more purpose-filled? Wouldn’t we walk with a livelier step as we lived out such a contract with God, the giver of all good things? Just think how quickly the snow and cold would take second fiddle to the pleasure of knowing that Christ is at our center, and our heart is safely in His hands! I can’t imagine a better way to live each day, even during the winter.
Prayer: Mighty God, thank you for the gift of your son. You have modeled for us the act of selfless giving, and for that we give you praise. Now help each of us to give you our most precious possession – our heart – in full gratitude to you, knowing that you are the giver of light and life. In your Son’s holy name, Amen.
