Well, as has been so common of late, I woke up feeling awfully sick. But yet, I still have my joy... I still have a song in my heart... How can that be, Jimbo?! No doubt, I'm disappointed that I wasn't well enough to be in Texas to spend Christmas with my family...and being so sick certainly gets old! But, I'm okay... To still have my spark and enthusiasm for life when I feel like this is not only a Christmas miracle, but an everyday miracle.
Yes, I still feel the hurts, the pains, the frustrations and overwhelm that are inevitable when you're sick 24/7. This time of year, I especially feel that churning... ("Another year alone? Come on, Jim, you've got to find someone to share your life with!") But yet, I've still got my child-like heart and an excitement for those things I can still do...not that far away from that kid of so long okay who couldn't wait to open his big present sitting under the Christmas tree...
This year in particular the Holy Spirit stands out as being the best gift this kid has ever received... My body may be sick, but my spirit is well. I see so many people bitter, angry and just downright unhappy. More often than not, it's clear to me that the biggest cause of their misery is a profound spiritual void. My heart goes out to them. I've been down that road. Even though I was a Christian in my beliefs, there was still something missing and I just couldn't put my finger on it...
That something was the joy of the Holy Spirit. I've come to believe that having the Holy Spirit in your heart is a basic human need. If it's not there, you're going to hurt. And it's a painful void that even the best things the world has to offer will provide no more than a promising distraction. My prayer, is that everyone I know receives this same life-changing and even life-sustaining gift. I think I'm pretty darn good with my perspective, coping skills and determination, but frankly I just don't know how I could have come through such a marathon of adversity without the profound presence, strength and joy of the Holy Spirit.
As I'm sure you have surmised, my Christmas is going to be special after all. I'd sure like to feel better and I'm praying my new docs can figure out what the heck is going on, but in the meantime, I'm going to make the most of the magic of Christmas. I felt that magic as a young child and at the age of 60, it's still there... but not because of a brightly-colored package with a big bow, but because of a baby in a manger long ago. An innocent child, the Son of God, sent to save the world. I celebrate Christmas to honor the birth of Jesus, but also to celebrate that He still saves me every day of every year... Yeah, I guess I'm pretty lucky, because I get to open my Christmas "present" every single day of the year... :)