My father had several wonderful sayings for which he was known. Among my favorites was one he often quipped at this time of year: “You know, folks, there just ain’t nothin’ ever as over as Christmas!” How right he was.
When the last present has been opened, the last piece of candy has been consumed, and the last relative has left, we frequently find ourselves staring at a house full of decorations with somewhat of an empty feeling inside.
Often, that which had produced so much joy now becomes that which produces so much headache. And when the dreaded process of un-decorating is finally over, next comes the business of processing and/or returning gifts, and then of writing thank you notes, etc…
If we are not careful, with so much to do, and with so little time to do it before we resume our normal schedules, we can quickly lose sight of what we were celebrating to begin with.
Because of this, I thought I would post the following free verse poem by famed author, theologian, and educator Howard Thurman. It is an insightful piece titled simply…
THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Thank you, Howard, for reminding us what truly matters as we now transition from Christmas to New Year’s Day and beyond.
When the last present has been opened, the last piece of candy has been consumed, and the last relative has left, we frequently find ourselves staring at a house full of decorations with somewhat of an empty feeling inside.
Often, that which had produced so much joy now becomes that which produces so much headache. And when the dreaded process of un-decorating is finally over, next comes the business of processing and/or returning gifts, and then of writing thank you notes, etc…
If we are not careful, with so much to do, and with so little time to do it before we resume our normal schedules, we can quickly lose sight of what we were celebrating to begin with.
Because of this, I thought I would post the following free verse poem by famed author, theologian, and educator Howard Thurman. It is an insightful piece titled simply…
THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Thank you, Howard, for reminding us what truly matters as we now transition from Christmas to New Year’s Day and beyond.