Remembering Others This Season

Now that we have finally finished analyzing “My Death Poem”, let’s turn to those things, which are more festive and hopefully more uplifting.  However, before I go there, a couple of Scriptures from Ecclesiastes 7:2; and 7:4, come to my mind, which state:

“It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.”

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”                            

Those are sobering thoughts, aren’t they? Let us by all means take them to heart and not overdo it during these days of feasting. 

I have learned that although the holiday times are filled with much genuine enjoyment, with families coming together and friends spending time with each other (even though it is not truly the real birth date of Christ); yet, for many in these most blessed of times, they too often forget about others who have no one – literally!

So many, forget about people who have no family or close friends, during this time of year, with which to celebrate and are left alone. Some do not take it well and end up being depressed. Others, like me have learned to let things roll off their back.

I remember the first year that I was left in the state of OK alone. Sure, I had met some people, who seemingly were my friends. Several who had set their feet under my table and eaten heartedly, on many occasions. However, when Christmas came around, not one person invited me to their home to spend the holiday. Now, had I called someone and invited myself over, they would not have refused me, but that is not the same as being thought about. Since I truly do enjoy my own company and enjoy moments without other people, I continued doing the same things that I did every day, and was fine; but I did find that odd, especially among Christian people.

Hopefully, during this season, you will intentionally put forth some effort to include a single person (whether never married, divorced or widowed), an elderly, disabled or even a homeless person to spend some time with you and your “in crowd”. It could very well prevent a suicide, or at the least, ward off depression for some.

I’m not patting myself on the back, but it is a practice that my family has engaged in for years and years. During those formative years of my children, when some disenfranchised person wasn’t coming to our home, we went to them and tried to make their time, which would have been spent alone, a little brighter for a while.  It brought us as much joy as it did to them.

Therefore, while you are planning for all of the rest of your family, please remember to include a “forgotten member of God’s family”.  After all, it is supposed to be His birthday we’re celebrating. I’m sure that He would want everyone to have a plate, or at least a piece of desert. LOL

More: Ginger's World.net