One of my favorite Christmas memories is listening to Amy Grant Christmas albums. Some might think of Amy Grant as hokie but she was one of my favorites growing up — both Christmas albums and regular. I even went to an Amy Grant concert when I was like 11.
The Christmas albums have always made me happy though and this morning I turned one on to hear “My Grown Up Christmas List” — which isn’t exactly your super-cheerful, sparkly song but sure makes me think. The main lyrics go like this:
No more lives torn apart,
That wars would never start,
And time would heal all hearts.
And everyone would have a friend,
And right would always win,
And love would never end.
This is my grown-up Christmas list.
As full fledged grown-ups (I guess you I accept it now that I’ve hit my 30s…), Christmas loses it’s magic. The allure of making a Christmas list is gone and in fact, I can’t remember the last time I made one.
But the older I get, the bigger my heart gets. And these are a few things I want:
- For more people to give other people the benefit of the doubt
- For more people to give other people second chances
- For more people to embrace the naivete of childhood and believe in the good in others
- For more people to remember we’re all fighting our own battles every day.
- For more people to befriend others who are different from them.
- For more people to show kindness even to — especially to — people that don’t show kindness to them.
- For more people to listen to & respect others’ opinions, even if they don’t understand them.
- For more people to remember life short and to let go of the things that we can’t change.
- For more people to give up $30/month to sponsor a child in need.
- For more people to spend money on charity than on political campaigns.
- For more people to give a little bit when they are asked and can ($5, $10 from all goes a LONG way!)
- For more people to choose love: it is patient, it is kind, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it it not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, it always protects, it always trusts, it always hopes, it always perseveres. Love never fails.
The truth is, sometimes I’m naive. I’ve been embarrassed by this in the past. But I believe in the good of others and sometimes, I probably trust too much. At the same time, as Lindsay so wisely pointed out, there is a childlike quality in this that we ought to hold onto.
What are children? They are joyful, they are hopeful, they are curious, they are trusting, they are wide-eyed and wonder-fied.
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| The kiddos in Congo 🙂 |
I urge anyone reading this…will you be a little naive with me? Will you read through my grown-up Christmas list and help make it come true? I think it might change your life — at least in some little way. I know mine is much happier when I put some of these things into practice (which isn’t always!).
And, as the song says, I hope that “everyone will have a friend and right will always win and love will never end” this Christmas.
Thanks for sharing in my list 🙂