True Christmas

This time of year we can easily become depressed from dwelling on our problems.  Millions of people, around such holidays as Thanksgiving and Christmas, look at their situation of finances, being alone, selfish desires that have not panned/worked out and become angry and sad during a time when all we should be doing is worshipping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in praise and thanksgiving.  Why?  Well, if you are a person who has a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, heat and air, drinkable water, indoor plumbing, sight, hearing, etc. you are blessed to the nth degree.  How often do we think our lives are falling apart and God is not listening?  Yet, in our selfish thinking of what we want and think we need, God is there with us, continuing to shower us with His loving grace and mercy through providing us with the necessities that millions of others are unable to have.  In reading last months In Touch magazine, I came across a brief article talking about these very blessings that we so often forget are blessings.  Then in this months magazine, I came across what Christmas is really about.  Christmas is about our receiving of a gift.  A gift from God.  It's not about all the giving.  It's about our thanksgiving in humility of accepting and accepting God's gift of His Son.  Just like by saying we are Christians and our belief is backed up by our works and actions, so is our thanksgiving of the birth of Christ and our receiving of this gift acted out by wanting to share this with others.  Then, in our heart's motive, is our giving necessary and real, all stemming from our outward acceptance of God's gift and our honorable praise and worship of Christ.  Just like Nicholas of Myra (aka: St. Nick).