Don't Take Christmas For Granted

Recent events have seen us witnessing another violent confrontation between the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas and the Israeli military. David versus Goliath it would seem, only this time the roles are reversed. Israel is Goliath, with its vastly superior military power and tiny Hamas would be David in this case.

Not many realize but even in these places a small but still significant Christian minority does exist. Think about how they felt then while the short war was raging. Think about how this coming Christmas will be for them. Truth is, they don't even know if the present truce will last or not. The fact remains that Christmas might be a day of airstrikes and missile threats again.

Fairly recently, a storm in the Philippines caused great floods and massive loss of life. Hundreds of people died in an area in the region of Davao in Mindanao called the Compostela Valley. We don't have to go overseas to see fellow Filipinos and Christians whose Christmas this year wll be very painful indeed.

Let's face it. How many times have we took our blessings for granted during Christmas? Truth is it's far too often, right? Have we looked at our family and got thankful that we're all still together, happy and alive? So many families are not complete! Have we seen Christmas through an orphan's eyes? Or that child whose father is working abroad and cannot be home for Christmas?  

Just "another Christmas"? No one has the right to think that way. It is ironic, but only by seeing the reality of how Christmas happiness cannot always be of the same degree for each and everyone can we appreciate and be thankful for our blessings this Christmas. Christmas - don't take it for granted and it won't take you for granted either!