Christmas Efforts

The more Christmases I experience, the more I appreciate the Christmas efforts people make.

– Stringing lights in the winter wind
– Ringing bells outside the door of the department store
– Practicing music for Christmas services
– Christmas baking
– Cleaning the church building and clearing the lot of snow
– Writing Christmas messages and preparing Christmas lessons
– Finding Christmas gifts and wrapping them
– Mailing Christmas packages
– Making Christmas pilgrimages
– Organizing Christmas events
– Lighting Christmas luminaries all around the church

One bitter cold day I ran out with three of the boys to Sam’s Club for some things we needed. When we came out of the door we could hear live Christmas music. The Salvation Army had dispatched three men who were heartily playing Carols in a little brass trio. They were dressed in their uniforms and bundled up against the wind. Their breath was visible above their heads; their faces were red with cold. The faithful played carol after sacred Christmas carol that immediately warmed me down to the depth of my spirit.

I gave some cash to each of the boys for the Salvation Army Kettle. Across the parking lot the donut light was on at Krispy Kreme. We appreciate their efforts, too washing down pumpkin spice donuts with big swigs of nice, black coffee, the bold kind that pushes back the winter cold.

Merry Christmas to each of you. Make every little Christmas effort a little act of allegiance to Christ, a little offer of Christmas worship, done with a prayer on your heart. People notice. God sees. Your Christmas efforts matter.

Ken Pierpont
The Pierpont Home
Riverview, Michigan
December 6, 2007