Believe!

This is quite possibly the most wonderful time of the year.

There are so many things that I just love as fall slides into winter and holiday preparations begin. I like waking up to freshly fallen snow, breathing in deeply the cold clean December air. I like crackling fires and black and white Christmas movies. 

first snowfall of the year

But most of all, I love this time of year for what happens to the human spirit. Some people say its a "magical" time of the year. I prefer to say that it is a time when believing becomes alive and faith becomes real. There is expectancy in the air, and generosity in hearts. 

I believe is a special time because, for the most part, people and put aside their differences and focus, with a united mind, on others. I feel love and compassion well up on the inside of me when I see acts of kindness and generosity. 

Call me naive, but I still think that its the one time of year where people think less about themselves and more giving towards others. Just walk pass people crowded around present donation booths in the mall, or long lines at the Salvation army gift wrap centers. Look at local rescue missions, food banks, churches and charities to see volunteers who give their time and energy with a smile on their face and joy in their heart.

I also love time with family, the tradition baking, cooking and feasting, present wrapping, tree decorating.

   

But what I most love about this time of the year is hope, belief and faith. The air is full of hope, expectancy. In in the midst of the most desperate of times, there is a hope that surrounds this time of year. The hopes of the hopeless are filled with hope and perhaps even belief that Christmas miracles still do exist. Movies like Miracle on 34th Street express this sentiment, and the importance of belief in faith in our lives. Believe that goodness still exists and is active in the lives of others. Believe in the impossible, impractical, and unconquerable. Believe in the unseen and unknown.There is the warmth and a renewed faith as I watch human beings give of themselves for others, their spouses, and children. There is excitement and buzz in the air. That is hope incubating in the hearts of people. Hope and expectancy for the season. Hope that dispels the darkness and brings joy. And as that hope continues to grow in hearts, it spills over into acts of love, bursts of joy, smiles on faces, and faith in action. Yes, I love this season most because of the hope and belief that surrounds the season and the contagious effects it causes. Be blessed and filled with hope and belief this Christmas season!