God Came Near.

each moment

each word

each thought

each action

Each one was a gift today.

And as this day ~ Christmas Day ~ comes to an end, I can only hope that the {magic} of it all can, and will be remembered on those days when {gifts} seem few and far between.

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from Max Lucado ... God Came Near ... Chapter 7 ~ Christmas Night

"It's Christmas night. The tree that only yesterday grew from soil made of gifts, again grows from the Christmas tree stand. Presents are now possessions. Wrapping paper is bagged and in the dumpster. The dishes are washed and leftover turkey awaits next week's sandwiches.
It's Christmas night.
The midnight hour has chimed and I should be asleep, but I'm awake. I'm kept awake by one stunning thought. The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed.
The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stopwatches and weapons. We stepped off our race tracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the star of Bethlehem.
It's Christmas night. In a few hours the cleanup will begin - lights will come down, trees will be thrown out. size 36 will be exchanged for size 40, eggnog will be on sale for half price. Soon life will be normal again. December's generosity will become January's payments and the magic will begin to fade.
But for the moment, the magic is still in the air. Maybe that's why I'm still awake. I want to savor the spirit just a bit more. I want to pray that those who beheld him today will look for him next August. And I can't help but linger on one fanciful thought: If he can do so much with such timid prayers lamely offered in December, how much more could he do if we thought of him every day?"

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{God Came Near}. What a gift.

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Peace. Hope. Love. Joy. Faith. Compassion. Understanding. Patience. Goodness. Kindness.

... those are the {gifts} I'm praying for in my life ... and yours as well.