Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho!

By Darrel E. Stott

I love the Christmas season. It is an amazing time of Joy and Celebration!

When I was a boy growing up in western Canada each family in our small community was very concerned during the Christmas season about how long their toboggan was. A toboggan is a flat wooden sleigh that more than two people can ride. The longer the toboggan is the more people can ride it. For us children to go fast through the snow down a long hill with six or more people was so exciting.

When I was a child I had no idea that not everyone in the world went riding in the snow at Christmas.

We would make large snow men and decorate them. We used black coal for the eyes and a carrot for the nose. Every year we would build walls from snow to make a fort then we would hide behind and have snow ball wars with the neighbors. This was so much fun!

Later in my life I went to Indonesia and Australia. I remember preparing for Christmas in Australia. I was in for one big shock!

I went out to buy a large turkey for Christmas in the store and they did not have any. How could this be? Most everyone in Canada had a big turkey on the table to eat Christmas day.

What did we eat on Christmas day in Australia? We bought some sausages and put on our bathing suits and went to the ocean for a “barbe”. I did not know a “barbe” was a barbeque. Yes it is true! We were swimming and have a barbeque on Christmas day.

Let's remember that each country celebrates the Christmas season in a different way.

Let me share a couple Christmas lessons I learned:

1) Do not expect other people and their gifts to make you happy.

Our happiness and Joy should come from our personal relationship

with Jesus Christ. Many people are selfish and unkind. This is

their problem but they are not the ones we depend on for

happiness. We are to have an intimate, thankful relationship with

Jesus Christ.

2) Be thankful for all things. Many times I read of this in the Bible.

But my entire life changed when I began thanking God for the

good things and also thanking God for the bad things that

happened to me my life was dramatically changed. God is very

interested in developing our character. Our response to bad

people and things is of great importance to him.

3) My life has been so blessed by having the privilege of being with

the poor and needy. One day I was chatting with some people as

we sat in the ruins of their homes that had been destroyed by an

earth quake in Indonesia.

As we chatted I never heard one of them complain. They had no

insurance for rebuilding and little money. But they relaxed and

served me tea and chatted as we discussed the earth quake and

watched the children plan

4) Learn the secret of bring joy to others in need. You may not have

poor people around you but there may be people who recently lost

a family member. Others recently went through divorce or found

out they are sick. What about those who do not have a joy and are

trying to make it on a very few dollars. What can you do to bring a

smile to their face?

5) We must learn to draw our energy, strength and personal Joy for

Jesus and the small important things around us.

I pray that God will make you a blessing to others this Christmas. What a wonderful thing when we love those close to us but are not too busy to focus on others around us who we can bring the love of Jesus too