A Lonely Christmas

" . . . His Christmas will be a lonely one." Mr. Z -- anonymity for his protection or ours? -- who attends church regularly and suffers from poor health, will be spending his Christmas alone.

How is that a man who attends church regularly will be spending Christmas alone? The Empty Stocking story said he is in need of a refrigerator. It seems to me this Mr. Z is in need of compassion from his church family.

Yes, the refrigerator should be provided, but that is a material need. His heart and his spirit need to be touched by the gift of companionship. I have not a clue what church this man attends, so I encourage every church in the area to see if you have any Mr. Z's attending your church. While you are at it, see if you have any Mrs. Y's, and Miss X's, or anyone else who will probably be spending their Christmas alone.

It is an indictment against each of us who claim to love the Lord Jesus, when one in our midst suffers from loneliness and we have the power to change that. Jesus wants us to reach out to those around us who are in need and to be a blessing.

Mr. Z. His anonymity is surely for his protection, but doesn't that anonymity also serve to protect us? For when we don't know just exactly who he is, it is impossible for any of us to call him up and invite him to Christmas with us.

Calling him Mr. Z does indeed protect him -- but at the same time, we are also protected by our ignorance.

This coming Sunday when you go to church, look around you, observe those who are sitting alone. Go over to them. Speak with them. Ask them questions. If they are going to be alone at Christmas, invite them to your home to share your family and home. If that is not possible encourage your church to host a Christmas celebration for all those who will be alone -- whether they are one or more.

Then, when Christmas is a sweet memory of blessings shared, remember these same people at New Year's, Valentine's, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, birthday parties, Sunday dinner, picnics, and others. There are so many opportunities to reach out, to include those who would otherwise be alone.

Would an extra plate or two at your table really be an imposition to your family? If it would, perhaps some soul-searching is in order for you. If it would not, then please seek these folks out. Invite them to your home. Invite them to be a part of your life. Let's not say we love our neighbor and then close our doors because we want to include only our families at Christmas or other times.

I have examined myself and discovered that there have been times when I could have reached out to include those who are lonely around me. As a single parent, there have been many times when it would have been a blessing to have been included in the plans of others. But we are three. We have room at our table, in our home, so why should I not also include others in our plans? We will no longer hope to be included, but shall reach out to include others.

What about you? Do you have room at your table, in your home for one or two others? Would you not be blessed to share your joy with those who would otherwise be alone? Would you not choose to teach your children that real joy in life comes from sharing and giving?

Think carefully, and you will discover many occasions when your family can share their joy with those who are lonely for companionship. If we pay attention, we could eliminate those words from future articles -- " . . . his Christmas will be a lonely one."

Copyright, Debby Willett, All Rights, 2009-2010