My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them round your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:1-6)
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:16-18)
Thought
I really like Christmas cards. I enjoy buying them, sending them and most of all receiving them. I love hearing the sound of cards dropping through the letter box. When I pick them up I like to try and guess who the card is from by looking at the handwriting or the postmark on the envelope before I open them. I enjoy looking at the image on the card and finally and most importantly I open the card to see who it is from and read any message that they have written in the card.
What I don’t particularly enjoy about Christmas cards is writing them! Sending them yes, but sitting down and writing them is not my favourite activity, somehow it always seems to be a bit of a chore. But last Sunday Rob and I started writing this year’s Christmas cards. The idea is that if we set aside small chunks of time we will be able to work through the task without it feeling like a burden. So far all the family cards have been written and posted.
What I really enjoy about writing any kind of card or letter to people is that it gives you a chance to think about them while you are doing it. As I wrote cards to my parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles I thought about each of them in turn and gave thanks for the love that they have shown over many years and prayed a blessing of peace and joy on each of them. In Ephesians we are told to pray at all times and this can include when we write our Christmas cards.
I know several people who keep all the Christmas cards that they receive and use them during the year as part of their prayer time. Each day they will pray for a different person who sent them a card and some will even send them a note letting them know that they have been prayed for.
In the build-up to Christmas it can be easy for us to forget to spend time praying for others. If we pray for everyone that we send a card to, as we are writing the card, and then also pray for everyone that we receive a card from, that might not only increase our enjoyment of writing Christmas cards but also allow us to ask God to surround those that we love with joy and peace this Christmas.
Prayer
Father God, we thank you for the love that we have experienced from friends and family; may we remember them all in our prayers and ask that you surround them with your love and peace.
Amen