An excerpt from my Christmas letter, 2013
I once read advice from an author that in order to make a gripping novel, you should create a character that everyone will love and then have the worst thing happen to them. Sound advice for writing suspense novels but horrible when it plays out in real life. Amidst the hardships I review with my clients in short sales and the losses some of my clients have faced in the passing of family, and the friends who have faced illness and job loss, and personal struggles that close family members have faced, gripping is a fairly accurate word. My hands have been gripped in prayer this year but... that's not such a bad place for them to be.
When you find yourself in darkness or despair, you might find yourself thinking, "When things get better, I'll... " or "when I have more money, I'll...." or "when I feel better, I'll..." and yet, if you wait till that time, you'll have missed something amazing that was right in front of you. It might be the chance to see your child shine, or hear laughter, or feel the sun on your face. God doesn't promise us that any of it will be easy, but in the course of it, we are changed by the refiner's fire, made pure like gold.
Wow... this is my Christmas letter, right? Sounds a bit deep and dark for Christmas, but it's this time of year that I look back to see if I got the message correctly. I think I did. And I think another simple message came to me near the end of the year, one I've heard before, but it bears repeating: Never "should" on anyone, least of all yourself. You can't "should have" done what you didn't do, so take stock of where you are, relish in the joy of the moment, and then make future plans.
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My wish for you? See the joy.
No matter the circumstances in which you find yourself, see the joy.
The joy of this day, of this moment, won't come again.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, a very Happy New Year and GREAT joy!
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