"Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." - Jesus (Mark 10:14-15)
Dear Friends in Christ -
Happy St. Nicholas' Day!!!
Today, December 6th, is the Feast of St. Nicholas, the real saint after whom Santa Claus is patterned. Traditionally this day is celebrated by giving an unanticipated gift or doing an unexpected kindness - things that push people out of the ruts of their everyday lives and stir them to wonder . . . How did I get so fortunate to receive this? Where did this come from? Is there more where this came from?
Whenever the commercialism or the pressure of the season gets me down, all I have to do is spend some time with children. Even more than they want stuff, they want to throw themselves headlong into the mystery, wonder and fun of it all. They want a series of little surprises to lead them like a trail of breadcrumbs through Advent to Christmas. They want to hear the stories again: the story of what Christmas was like when Grandpa was a little boy, as well as the story of the Baby who was born in a barn.
This Advent, may you come to the manger like a child: not knowing quite what to expect, eagerly noticing everything, hoping for some great surprise. God will surely meet you there!
Faithfully moving toward the manger,
Janet+
Faithfully
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