Sunday, December 24, 2006

Have a 1 Corinthians Christmas

If I decorate my house perfectly
with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights
and shiny balls,
but do not show love,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
but do not show love,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home
and give all that I have to charity,
but do not show love, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce
with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return
but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust,
but the gift of Love will endure.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My friend loved that so much she printed it out and is keeping it with her Christmas things so she can read it every year and not lose her focus on Christ!

Staying in Balance said...

Wow, that's great! I thought it was excellent when I first read it. It really puts the season in perspective.

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful reminderk to a Mom to keep it all in perspecive. . .it tweaks my conscience in places!

Anonymous said...

I found this through Causa Nostra Laetitiae's site. Thank you for this necessary reminder for all of us home-keepers, and Merry Christmas!

Dymphna's favorite quotes


"Slavery ended in medieval Europe only because the church extended its sacraments to all slaves and then managed to impose a ban on the enslavement of Christians (and of Jews). Within the context of medieval Europe, that prohibition was effectively a rule of universal abolition. "— Rodney Stark

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