A Christmas Prayer

Devotional for Saturday, December 12, 1998 by Bruce M. Dinsmore

Prayer: Lord, I thought we were supposed to pray and reflect about hope, joy, love and peace this Christmas? Lord, help! For this year, I have sat by the terminally ill, and I did not see hope. Lord, I sat with the bereaved and mourning, and I did not see any joy. Lord, I read the headlines, and I don't see any peace. Worst of all, Lord, I look around at this uncaring, rush-rush, money-mad world, and I see so little love. Where are you Lord?

Lord, maybe what I need this Christmas is a new pair of spiritual eyeglasses, ones that would let me see the hope and trust those ill people had in You, so even if they have died, as we on Earth call it, we know they are alive forever in you. Maybe those glasses would let me see the loved ones of those who mourn, and see they are not in some box with handles, but are running, leaping and dancing with You. Those glasses might let me hear better, too. I might hear You say "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called God's children." (Matthew 5:9) Then I would see that any tiny effort toward peace is better than no effort at all. Perhaps those glasses might help me see that there is a little love bestowed in even a kind word, or a coin for some homeless person. For you did say that even if someone gave even a drink of water, they would receive a reward. (Mark 9:41)

I guess, Lord, there is Christmas wonder all around us. Is it, if only we had eyes to see it, or is it, if only we took time to look? This season, Lord, give us all child-like eyes so we may see the wonder, love and joy again. Amen.

Bruce M. Dinsmore <dinsmore@pathcom.com>
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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