Christmas Cards

          A few decades ago, I began collecting Christmas cards. If I received a Christmas card that particularly caught my attention because its design or the message printed on it, I set the card aside for safe keeping. There were instances where I bought individual cards just because of the graphic art or message they contained. Some of the cards were humorous, some of them  pictures of beautiful pieces of arts. There were exquisite angels and animals lowing their heads around the baby Jesus. I had cards with drummer boys, royally dressed magi and shepherds guarding their sheep by night on snow covered hills.  Each year, when I got the ornaments for our tree, I would sit and look at all those cards I had collected.

           One card, given to me by the parent of one of my students, so spoke to my heart that it ended up in a five by seven photo frame on my desk. No matter where my career took me, that card went with me, always taking a place of prominence on my desk. The graphics on the card were nothing special. To be honest, I cannot even remember what picture was on the card. The card read, "He came to Earth to be like us so that we could learn to be like Him."

          I think of that card from time to time, especially when I have done or said something God clearly would have preferred I not say or do. It is at times such as those when I see I still much work to do with myself in my quest to follow Jesus.

          Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Emmanuel- God with us. Glory of God in the highest and on Earth peace, goodwill towards men.
In the spirit of that Holy birth, may each of us recommit our lives to Christ as the the little drummer boy on a Christmas card said, "My finest gifts I bring to lay before the King."

          May each of you have a blessed and very Merry Christmas!