Catch the Spirit
“I’ve got to get it done: just get all this decorating done in my house!”
My dear husband reminds me today it’s not just for me; all this decorating the home; but the joy my family and friends get when they come.
I have this little country sign with jingle bells that reads, “Catch the Spirit.” I picked it up, and it struck me that I need to catch the spirit of Christmas; like the verse in Galatians 4:4-5.
“But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem those that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
- stopping to remember what the season is about as I place a homemade manger with a baby Jesus under my Christmas tree, placing a simple wooden sign in front of it that says “Jesus”, catching the spirit… the greatest gift of all!
- slowing down and sitting by my Christmas tree, looking at each ornament on my tree. Each ornament has a story. Some were given to me by dear friends; ornaments from long ago when my children were young. There is a special ornament that hangs on the front of my tree that I hang every year. When I was a pastor’s wife, many years ago, a sweet eight year old girl stitched it together to form a bow and hung jingle bells from it. It’s a very crude ornament, yet in my eyes I see all the love that went into making this for me: catching the spirit of giving.
So…I’m busy, stressed, sometimes frustrated, and very tired. If I’m not careful, I will lose or miss the spirit (the Spirit). God help me not to miss Christmas.
Pam Cavanaugh
