No jealousy, no greed; only loving good will

Last week, I drove to visit my sister Laura. It was two days after Thanksgiving.  Laura and husband Dan had four of their five children, and 17 of their grandchildren, visiting for the holidays. It was chaos and happiness all rolled into one big house.

The family had come together for Thanksgiving and, also, to celebrate one granddaughter’s birthday. Her name is Samantha.

I was standing in my sister's gorgeous living room, and watching the grandkids’ faces, as their cousin Samantha opened her birthday gifts.  It was electrifying.

The children’s eager eyes twinkled with generosity.  There was no envy or jealousy.  They excitedly showed good will toward their cousin. 

This is the season of good will. This is a season of gift giving. This is a season of love. In Laura’s living room, I witnessed a small sampling of each . . . good will, service, and love.

While enjoying my sister’s grandchildren, I observed two of Laura’s newest grandbabies. I love babies. They are so sweet and pure.

We have much to gain from the purity of a baby, especially during the Christmas season.

E. T. Sullivan once wrote these interesting words: “When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies.”

As I left Laura’s home, I thought of the glorious season, which will conclude this year of 2008. It is glorious because of the sacred birth of Jesus Christ. 

Readers, may we follow the little cousins’ example with Samantha, and keep generosity in our eyes as we treat others with good will, service, and love.