Christmas is a time of joy and giving - not just presents but the spirit of giving and receiving and meeting your loved ones are the main highlights of the season. When we talk about giving, it is also about giving in soul and love for others. This calls for the time to forget and forgive which is usually the toughest. It is always easier said than done when it comes to forgetting the bad deeds someone has done to you; especially it involves a grudge, hatred or any form of scar-deep rivalry and finding a space in your heart to actually forgive that person. It is never easy, of course, we all know that but we are also aware that it is not entirely impossible as deep down inside, the decision lies there. It is whether YOU want to do it; are you willing to unheave the burden of the grudge and hatred from your heart, soul and mind?
Christmas is not all about shopping for presents, heaving those annual Christmas trees tucked in the basement/attics to be dusted and put up in the living hall, decorating tinsels and neon lights, getting new apparel, spring cleaning, baking cookies/cakes, preparing for that family reunion, listening to Christmas carols, attending Midnight masses,etc although that seemed to be the trend these days when we even see Non-Christians getting into the festive mood themselves as they find the joy in dressing themselves in Santa costumes, Santarina dresses, hanging those stockings and mistletoes at home...and throwing wild parties...I have no qualms or discriminations on that; although I personally feel that Christmas is actually a more religious-like occasion and not as commercialized as we are actually celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is also the Lamb of God and we know that he was the born Saviour to the world who will be saving mankind from their evil deeds and sins and free us from the suffering upon the judgement.
Christ did not lead an easy life either; in fact far from it. He was tortured to his death despite living a life doing good deeds and he never even harmed anyone.But because people disbelieved and scorned on his proclaimation at being the Son of God, he was punished severely and yes, even at his life's stake.
What has HE ever done? He was giving and giving and also trying to mend things up with people, but no one took the time to see and hear him and kept pushing him to the verge of his life.
And, when they crucified him, all he said was "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they have done"
Look at the big picture, this man was unruly accused of speculation (although it sounds absurd at that point to have someone to admit as the Son of God) but does it really have to be his Life to be paid?
They did not even consider the values of humanity and that sense of mankind when they inflicted all those horrifying pain on him and he was not even mad at any of them. He still lifted the pain and suffering from himself to find space to forgive those people.
It is actually a choice made by HIM; not forced unto him by God the Father.
Yes, he did questioned God "Abba, why have you forsaken me?" but deep down inside, he has the answer that God is there for him and he MADE the choice to forgive them instead of holding grudges and telling his Father (God himself) to kill and punish those people.
WHY?Did we take the time to actually ponder on this? He was badly battered and suffered to his last dying breath and he can still forgive them?
To me, it is pretty simple, grudges are a chain of negative effects in emotions which can be passed on and on infectiously. It spreads faster than you can say "Jack Robinson" but is there a point in that?
Instead of holding a grudge, isn't it a lot easier to free that space and open it up for brighter things in life?
It is not easy holding a grudge; furthermore grudges and it also makes a person unhappy with a negative burden in his/her heart.
We keep reminding ourselves that I dislike this person and I am not going to be friends with this person anymore when it is actually a lot easier to not hold any stones in the heart and just treat everyone the same way; positively and happily.
I have been in situations like these myself where I was actually pushed to the edge or the verge of my limits and was still continually battered (mentally of course).It was a downtime for my morale as well and I felt so down in the dumps but I never gave up.I felt that I am sincere in my giving and that I should not be overtaken by something which is just not worth it and furthermore, not my fault to begin with.In fact, I have to admit that I recently landed myself in a situation like this as well and it was not easy feat.I have tried my best to mend things but it is probably beyond my self-boundaries to set the rules and to force people to adhere or to even want to patch things up.Sad to say this,but it really takes two hands to clap and despite the amount of effort, without the other hand, it is not going to clap.
I will still leave that space in my heart open and hoping for the day when the skies will clear.I will also continue to pray for them that they will one day find that space in them to open up and let go of all the past.
It is sad but life goes on and I am a determined and free-willed girl, remember? I will not let this be the main downfall....it's not the end of the world.Over the course of life journey, we are bound to have people from all walks of life crossing our paths and we cannot expect to please everyone and that everyone shares the same passion or enthusiasm. That is why God invented us human beings; to be unique and different from the others which clearly distinguishes us.Come on, even identical/Siamese twins have their differences.
I am not hoping for anything but that everyone will be happy with their decisions; and also in their choice of the paths taken.
Perhaps the skies will clear one day and the rainbow will prevail.
I learnt a lot from things like these and definitely made me become a wiser person...as the saying goes; "It doesn't kill you; it only makes you stronger"
So, let us truly observe in the true spirit of Christmas and find that space in our hearts to open up to truly receive the giving spirit of Christ through his birth.
Christmas is not all about shopping for presents, heaving those annual Christmas trees tucked in the basement/attics to be dusted and put up in the living hall, decorating tinsels and neon lights, getting new apparel, spring cleaning, baking cookies/cakes, preparing for that family reunion, listening to Christmas carols, attending Midnight masses,etc although that seemed to be the trend these days when we even see Non-Christians getting into the festive mood themselves as they find the joy in dressing themselves in Santa costumes, Santarina dresses, hanging those stockings and mistletoes at home...and throwing wild parties...I have no qualms or discriminations on that; although I personally feel that Christmas is actually a more religious-like occasion and not as commercialized as we are actually celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is also the Lamb of God and we know that he was the born Saviour to the world who will be saving mankind from their evil deeds and sins and free us from the suffering upon the judgement.Christ did not lead an easy life either; in fact far from it. He was tortured to his death despite living a life doing good deeds and he never even harmed anyone.But because people disbelieved and scorned on his proclaimation at being the Son of God, he was punished severely and yes, even at his life's stake.
What has HE ever done? He was giving and giving and also trying to mend things up with people, but no one took the time to see and hear him and kept pushing him to the verge of his life.
And, when they crucified him, all he said was "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they have done"
Look at the big picture, this man was unruly accused of speculation (although it sounds absurd at that point to have someone to admit as the Son of God) but does it really have to be his Life to be paid?
They did not even consider the values of humanity and that sense of mankind when they inflicted all those horrifying pain on him and he was not even mad at any of them. He still lifted the pain and suffering from himself to find space to forgive those people.
It is actually a choice made by HIM; not forced unto him by God the Father.
Yes, he did questioned God "Abba, why have you forsaken me?" but deep down inside, he has the answer that God is there for him and he MADE the choice to forgive them instead of holding grudges and telling his Father (God himself) to kill and punish those people.
WHY?Did we take the time to actually ponder on this? He was badly battered and suffered to his last dying breath and he can still forgive them?
To me, it is pretty simple, grudges are a chain of negative effects in emotions which can be passed on and on infectiously. It spreads faster than you can say "Jack Robinson" but is there a point in that?
Instead of holding a grudge, isn't it a lot easier to free that space and open it up for brighter things in life?
It is not easy holding a grudge; furthermore grudges and it also makes a person unhappy with a negative burden in his/her heart.
We keep reminding ourselves that I dislike this person and I am not going to be friends with this person anymore when it is actually a lot easier to not hold any stones in the heart and just treat everyone the same way; positively and happily.
I have been in situations like these myself where I was actually pushed to the edge or the verge of my limits and was still continually battered (mentally of course).It was a downtime for my morale as well and I felt so down in the dumps but I never gave up.I felt that I am sincere in my giving and that I should not be overtaken by something which is just not worth it and furthermore, not my fault to begin with.In fact, I have to admit that I recently landed myself in a situation like this as well and it was not easy feat.I have tried my best to mend things but it is probably beyond my self-boundaries to set the rules and to force people to adhere or to even want to patch things up.Sad to say this,but it really takes two hands to clap and despite the amount of effort, without the other hand, it is not going to clap.
I will still leave that space in my heart open and hoping for the day when the skies will clear.I will also continue to pray for them that they will one day find that space in them to open up and let go of all the past.
It is sad but life goes on and I am a determined and free-willed girl, remember? I will not let this be the main downfall....it's not the end of the world.Over the course of life journey, we are bound to have people from all walks of life crossing our paths and we cannot expect to please everyone and that everyone shares the same passion or enthusiasm. That is why God invented us human beings; to be unique and different from the others which clearly distinguishes us.Come on, even identical/Siamese twins have their differences.
I am not hoping for anything but that everyone will be happy with their decisions; and also in their choice of the paths taken.
Perhaps the skies will clear one day and the rainbow will prevail.
I learnt a lot from things like these and definitely made me become a wiser person...as the saying goes; "It doesn't kill you; it only makes you stronger"
So, let us truly observe in the true spirit of Christmas and find that space in our hearts to open up to truly receive the giving spirit of Christ through his birth.
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