Christmas Conversation

We had a sweet Christmas Eve, hubby, the kids and I. We finished assembling gifts and wrapping presents, we went to a small candlelight Christmas Eve service at church and my eldest girl sang carols up front with the worship team and one of her young friends. Two new people to our church were there at the service--two people who really have no one else in the world right now for the holiday, both separated from their spouses, both new to the city, both alone on Christmas. If we were hosting Christmas I would have loved to bring them home for the holiday. In just a few minutes of conversation, each of these people shared personal struggles with me, intimate details of their lives and opportunities to know them. I pray that we can become the church family for them.

Today, as my love is at work for the day (having overcome his bout with the flu), the kids and I will go to our extended family celebration this morning and he will meet us later. My prayer for today is that I will be able to have the same quality of conversations among my family as I did with these virtual strangers last night. That I can both listen and be heard on a deeper level than the surface. That the love we have as family would be manifest and that the Holy Spirit would guide my steps. That this Christmas would indeed be festive and fun and memorable for the kids, but that it would also have depth and spiritual purpose.

MicahGirl