Ebenezer Scrooge

I was flipping channels and saw the movie "A Christmas Carol" and starting watching it...I used to hate watching that story to be honest.  Something has changed....

Scrooge gets to look at glimpses of his past and milestone markers in his life.  He gets a close up look at decisions and their subsequent consequences.

He takes a trip down memory lane with the past, present, and finally a look at his legacy and possible and most likely future.  A valuable trip it is...for when he awakes it is as if he's been reborn.  As he breathes in life to its fullest deeply into his lungs and accepts the gift of today for the amazing gift it is...he realizes finally it is more blessed to give than to receive.  He is also in a place to bless others by doing just that.  He is on a high so contrasted by his beginning miserly heart.  The JOY radiates from him as to an unbelievable level for those who knew him...some wanting not to forgive his past...some not wanting to show kindness back to him now, yet undaunted he presses forward and stays in the JOY of his Christmas awakening.

He is a man given TRUE life.

But what of the name Ebenezer? Is that significant?

Ebenezer is actually a Hebrew name that translates to "stone of help" or anything that reminds us of God's presence and help.  It becomes the standing stone or a place where a stone was stood on end as a reminder of something significant God did to help or aid the Israelites.

How fitting that Ebenezer's  own life became a type of standing stone for giving and kindness, good nature, charity, deep family love....Ebenezer became an Ebenezer.... he fulfilled his name.....how I hope we all have such an ending...

.....I love that movie ending....

Throw open the shades and let the light of Christmas flood the windows of your soul..throw open the window and breath in the cold clean snowy air...help someone...share with someone...Merry Christmas

A Strangely Wrapped Gift

I received an unexpected gift this week.  It actually is probably not what you are thinking.  You see, it wasn't anything that someone physically gave me.  At this time of year we can usually assume a gift is something that we receive....something that is wrapped up with wrapping paper and a bow.

Not this gift...

This gift was a friend that allowed me the opportunity to speak truth about his life...words that are simple and true.  It cost me nothing but time.  Time these days is very valuable to me and a precious commodity.  I am working two jobs to make ends meet, so time is very scarce and precious.   We can see some struggles so clearly when we have blazed a similar trail in our lives.  Many times the trail is too close for comfort and so we avoid the pain and tell people the standard "we are praying for you".  While I have no doubt that many actually do pray, many more do not and they just don't know what to say...it's OK though, I do understand.

Words...they can give life or they can crush the spirit.  Unspoken words can snuff out the light of the soul.  Dramatic--No!  Words, spoken sincerely and from the heart allow us to connect in the purest form of community I know.

To touch some of that pain and not have all the answers but still speak from the heart...that was allowing me the gift of giving some of me.  It allows me to redeem some of my own story and pain.

That was a gift for me..medicine for my heart.  I am thankful ;)

Eucharisteo.