“Tis the Season”
Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we regularly feature a column from a PMMA® chaplain in our newsletter. This month’s column comes from Robert “Bob” Giffin, chaplain at Topeka Presbyterian Manor®.
“Tis the Season”
Christmas gifts, trees, décor, shopping, love, peace, joy, hope, family, friends, Santa, “White Christmas”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Ernest Saves Christmas”, “Jingle Bells”, “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”, white chocolate covered pretzels, ham, eggnog, and a partridge in a pear tree! Wowser! Tis the season when our lives go from busy to busier.
In the midst of our busy lives, let us be reminded that ‘tis the season of “Advent.” The term “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus which means “coming.” Advent is about the “coming” of Christ. Hundreds of years beforehand, the Prophet Isaiah foretold that he would: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6, NIV). CHRISTmas is Jesus!
Jesus truly is the reason for the season of Christmas. On the Christian calendar, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day mark the season of Advent. They serve to remind us of the wonderful gifts of hope, peace, joy and love we have received from Jesus. And we, in turn, are to share those gifts with others. The season of Advent is a sweet opportunity to treat others the way you’d like to be treated. Here’s some ways to do that which will cost you little, if anything, but will be of immeasurable value:
Call a friend you haven’t spoken with recently
Visit a neighbor who lives alone
Deliver a meal or a dessert to someone – make it a “May Day” gift in December!
Make a contribution of time, food, clothing or money to one of your local charities
Say a prayer for a different person each day
Give a random act of kindness – a sincere compliment, an encouraging note…
Plan to do it. First, make yourself a note, put an alert on your phone, do whatever it takes to remind you to be a blessing to someone else. Be spontaneous too. Look around for unplanned opportunities right in front of you to share hope, peace, joy and love with others. You’ll see them in the grocery line with the cashier who’s been on their feet all day; at the convenience store with the clerk who is perhaps working a second job to make ends meet; at a school where the custodian feels obscure; next door or across the hall – just look around and you’ll see many opportunities to share hope, peace, love, and joy. Second, do it. Tis the season!
