Someone sent this to me a few years ago right when I was in the midst of a pressure-filled week, and I am ashamed to say I did not receive it well. I want to start out this Christmas season with these thoughts at the forefront:
1 CORINTHIANS 13 – - A CHRISTMAS VERSION -
By an unknown author
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love, I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I’m just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.
9 Comments
December 4, 2006 at 10:25 am
thank you for sharing this – i needed it – it is a good reminder during this extra busy time of year…
December 4, 2006 at 2:31 pm
That is wonderful…and true. Thanks for sharing that. I think we all need a little perspective this time of year. I, for one, have been going a little nuts lately trying to do all of the things that I perceive are important. Sometimes I forget why we are actually doing this.
December 8, 2006 at 12:54 pm
[...] I’ve already posted one of my favorites, a Christmas-based I Cor. 13. I think I need to read that at least once a week in December. Today I want to list some excellent Christmas devotional reading. [...]
December 9, 2006 at 1:57 am
This is wonderful! May I link it from my site?
December 9, 2006 at 10:25 am
I would be happy for you to.
December 9, 2008 at 7:59 pm
[...] ago, I was looking through some Christmas reading selections, and I stumbled across this one called I Corinthians 13 – A Christmas Version. Like the original blogger, I felt a few twinges of guilt here and there while reading, and I knew [...]
December 17, 2009 at 1:15 am
Boy do I feel pretty small right now!! How many times has that been me?….yelling at the kids for getting hyper and being loud, stressing and complaining about food not turning out right, feeling like I didn’t do a good enough job because things aren’t arranged just so and we didn’t have the money for what I really wanted things to look like. Thank you for opening my eyes because that might have been the way I’ve done holidays past, such as Thanksgiving, not settling down to show love until the meal was over and cleaned up. But Christmas will be different and I will start earlier so my kids can help more and I will laugh at the noise and antics of my kids!! Thank you for opening my eyes….and my heart!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! <3
December 26, 2009 at 8:58 am
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December 30, 2009 at 3:53 am
Amen and amen Let God stop the craziness and allow us to see the beauty of Christ in Chrisrmas