As with many, Christmas is a wonderful time of year for me. I love the message and the feeling of the real reason for the season, as well as the decorative lights during what is for us the darkest time of year, the little traditions celebrated, and deepened meditation upon the personal and impersonal Christ. I knew that the special feeling that comes with our Christmas Service in Maple Ridge and on Camano Island was to be the heart of spiritual and social Christmas, and that afterward it would be a time of growing inner focus. Carla also had elective surgery this last week, and so recovery time for her added to being home and more reclusive.
I realize that for some it is also a season that brings up those things that have been lost. I have definitely lived long enough to have people and situations that are no longer here. Christmas celebrations with my Guru come to mind, and how she brought such life and meaning to the season as well as her birthday celebration on Christmas Day. However, I will say that a very definite virtue of a deepened communion with God is that it is the sole relationship that continues to deepen, glow and provides life, inspiration, renewal, and ever-new joy to devotees that never fades with time. In God-consciousness all people, past and present, feel near and dear. So, while I may miss certain interactions from the past, the sting of loss is replaced with a warm glow. When you take the feeling of loss to deepen connection with your infinite Beloved, then wounds are healed and loss becomes gain.
It is the one thing about God—He is not a thing of the past or a story that becomes staid, but a deep well of living waters that brings new birth and new openings to the most tremendous gift ever given to all God’s children. The angels’ universal sound is singing its song in my ears and beyond, the warm Christ-light is blazing as the leading star and lights the Christmas tree of my spine and brain–love is glowing from my heart, radiating out to all creation. These fill my heart, mind and soul and shares itself with one and all—there is no limit, no aloneness, no feeling of loss possible in this ever-new birth. This is the gift I wish, hope and pray for one and all—that you share in this God-experience. You will find it waiting for you to unwrap from under your tree-of-life, right within you. There are many wonderful things about this world, but none compares to the universal Christ-presence sown throughout creation, and that is most definitely residing deeply in you.
P.S. Thank you so much for your cards and gifts, each one is received with love and gratitude. I want to share with you a list of some holiday movies we enjoy. All, I think, are family friendly though some may not appeal to little children—of course, you may not like all of them as much as I do, but I think you will find there are many gems here, and hopefully some you may not know and come as delightful surprises—others simply reminders to see again.
It’s a Wonderful Life (spoiler alert, Clarence get’s his wings!)
White Christmas (when young I thought musicals were stupid, now many are delightful!)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Christmas does not come from a store, it is much, much more!)
Elf (You are an angry elf!)
Lost Christmas (Who would think Shiva would save Christmas!)
The Santa Clause (I Like the sequels as well)
The Last Holiday (Queen Latifah to God, You just mess’n with me now!)
Christmas with the Kranks (Botox scene makes me laugh every time)
Christmas in Connecticut (A fun Classic)
Jesus of Nazareth (Zeffirelli makes each scene look like a masterpiece painting—and James Earl Jones plays a wonderful Wiseman—you can watch it up to the birth of Jesus)
A Christmas Carol (there are many versions, but Alistair Sim makes the most grumpy and then joyfully redeemed Scrooge in this 1951 classic)
Holiday Inn (You just have to love corny musicals, and Fred Astaire’s dancing of course)
A Christmas Story (You’ll shoot your eye out!)
Miracle on 34th Street (Edmund Gwenn makes the best Santa!)