Merry Christmas Everyone,
Most of us are young and lucky enough to have lived our entire lives without any overwhelming cataclysms like world wars and pandemics. Especially for those of you who’ve been born and raised in rural Maine, the worst we typically endure is a bad snow storm, blackflies and a big mud season. So it’s easy to get a little unsettled when something like a pandemic comes to town. The biggest source of fear is the unknown, and we’ve had a big fat dose of unknown this year.
One of the ways some of us have dealt with this unknown is with anger. That anger is often directed at others who are dealing with things differently than we are. And that’s expected sometimes. It’s part of the human condition. But here comes Christmas, just in time, and that “veil” between our world and His is a little thinner, … maybe we can all pray for an abundance of patience, kindness and understanding with our brothers and sisters as we each find our special way of dealing with being a little scared.
In these times of uncertainty, one thing that can help us all is a little dose of good old-fashioned Faith. Not blind faith that “everything will be ok” (although I think it will be). But faith that there’s something larger than us at work behind that veil. The faith that allows us to open our hearts a little wider. And with open hearts, we might notice those tiny miracles that barely register with us during the hustle and bustle…be amazed and grateful about the 6 trillion things that happen perfectly each second in our bodies…the almost impossible fact that we’ve been on a big blessed rock, hurtling through space for eons with nary a mishap (aside from an occasional ice age) We might remember all the eye-roll worthy cliché’s we’ve come to know: This too shall pass…Your will, not mine, be done. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference…God never gives us any problem without including a solution… But instead of rolling our eyes maybe we dab them a little. Christmas is a great time to swap cliché’s with each other like we’re saying & hearing them for the first time.
And so, we pray that you’re all blessed with an abundance of Grace, Charity, Good Will, Forgiveness, and that you all have “enough” this season and so very many more to come. And we hope you’re not too afraid. And finally, some wise words from Jerry Garcia (who always looked a little like Santa Claus to me)
Reach out your hand…if your cup be empty.
If your cup is full, may it be again.
Let it be known…that there is a fountain…that was not made, by the hands of men.
Thinking of you, being thankful for you wherever we fit into each other’s lives…Merry Christmas to all.
The LaVoie Family: Ken, Deb and Elissa Rose
Central Maine Web ~ Southern Angel Properties