The Adventures of Christmas Sample
December 16th
Did you know that around 50% of Americans dread Christmas? “Bah humbug.” They dread the music, the shopping, and the endless hours of The Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life and all of the new Netflix Christmas movies. For many people, the holiday season is more of a scary Christmas than a Merry Christmas. Did you know that 15,000 will end up in the emergency room this holiday season? One man fell off the roof as his wife was trying to hand him his walker. If you need a walker you probably should not be on a roof. But maybe that’s just me.
I was talking with a friend who lost his mother right around Christmas. His family was poor and all of the money had to go toward medical bills. They couldn’t afford a tree so his dad took a pegboard and carved it into the shape of a tree. He painted it green and put a few lights around it. It was more pathetic than Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. Sadly, there are scenes like this all around the world. Many trees have no gifts under them. Some individuals have to spend December 25th at the hospital, in a nursing home or all alone.
This Christmas, consider some ways you can reach out to the hurting. Go caroling to those who can’t get out of their home. Bake some cookies for a neighbor who celebrates every year on their own. Invite a couple of military people to come have dinner with you since they can’t get back to their own families. Look for opportunities to ease someone’s hurt.
Scripture
About this Plan
The true intention behind Advent was a way of preparing one’s heart for Christmas. It was a way to create a posture like Simeon: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him” (Luke 2:25). This devotional by Dan Stanford is designed to help us do that.
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