Christmas Light

With a past life filled with fear, depression and loneliness, the Grinch sat with his dog in a cave for years and years – a victim of circumstances. He believed there was no light at the end of his tunnel. Then one day he had a vision and decided to take a bold action, a horribly mean action, to get back at those who he believed had destroyed his life. In the dark of night, he stole all the Christmas gifts, gadgets and groceries in Whoville and piled them in his cave. Then that next morning, the Grinch stood on his mountaintop in defiant expectation of hearing sobs of “Christmas lost” from the village below. Instead he heard songs of “Christmas found.”    

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”*

2020

This year has been full of fear, depression and loneliness. We were instructed to sit at home, with our pets, in quarantine. We are victims of circumstances, and it looks like Christmas will be much the same. People are asking, “When will we get back to normal? Is there a light at the end of this tunnel?”

Tunnel

Folks, this is normal. This is the tunnel. It will be here for a while. We can wait on others to change our circumstance or we can claim a new vision (not a mean one) and take a bold step to bring light into our tunnel. An action step is something each of us needs to take, but as you have probably discovered, actions cannot be sustained for long through sheer determination or self-discipline alone. They require a change of heart. 

“And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two!” *

Journal Entry:  Keeping your tunnel light bright is not easy during times of constant change. Fortunately, there is a source of light that doesn’t change. It  isn’t affected by COVID spread, the economic upheaval or political discord or found in having more packages, boxes or bags. It’s the light that appeared when God spoke four words, and the world was born. This same light  appeared over 2000 years ago, in a star above a manger. It was there to announce the offer of gift of a purposeful and peaceful life to anyone who truly  believes in the authentic reason for this season. Where do you find the heart of Christmas and how will you light up the tunnel for others in your leadership and life?

Quotes Worth Noting

Four Words: “ And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.” The Bible, Genesis 1:3 KJV

Christ’s Birth: “So, they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” Luke 2: 16-19

*From – How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr. Suess

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