'TIS THE SEASON TO BE.......

 If you are like me there are times when it is hard to wrap your mind around the conflicting bits of logic. The hectic holidays that end our calendar year ……Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years……offer the promise and celebration of thankfulness, caring, and hope for the future. We hear those claims over and over as the holiday frenzy mounts.

Yet the experts who study such things are quick to remind us that same holiday atmosphere is for many folks a time of anxiety, loneliness, and sagging hopes. All around us a significant portion of the population hears the supposedly upbeat messages of the season, yet remains convinced that those blessings have not found a home in their world. For those folks the Christmas Grinch is a personal, very real reality.

Which of those conflicting possibilities speak to us? Or does your holiday-meter swing back and forth, touching both highs and lows. Regardless of what our moods reflect……be it financial anxiety, craved-for success, relational elation or disappointment, or a spiritual reality that has us feeling hopeful or depressed……we must continue to move ahead……both for ourselves and our fellow travelers, especially those is need.

The fortunate among us will have the caring support of family and friends to help us weather the holiday craziness……and thank God for that.

Yet we ought not turn a blind eye to the many appeals for help the season brings ……from Salvation Army bell-ringers to the flood of mailings seeking our help. Lord knows we can’t help everyone in need. But most of us October/November types can choose a particular charity that appeals to us, and support it in a meaningful way.

So many folks need our help. And by this stage of life we realize that we need to be helping. It is good for us. Besides, it can mean more than a cash outlay. It might include taking a few minutes to check in with someone who may not live their life in the holiday mainstream. A few brief moments spent giving your undivided attention to someone who feels left out of the season’s festivities can be a most precious gift……one that you will feel better for having given.

Here’s hoping our holiday season includes moments of thankful reflection on the many ways we have been blessed……and how we might share those blessings.