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Why do I always think of the perfect thing to say after the opportunity is past? With this being the Christmas season, there should be many situations when I can say something about the real meaning of Christmas. How can I be ready and prepared to share what Christ means to me?
Our biggest challenge during the Christmas season is to not get so caught up in the frenzy and hectic hurry that we "miss the opportunities" that are surely all around us! Let's remember that for some, Christmas will be the only time during the year they hear or think about Jesus as they sing the old carols of Christ's birth or read a card. For others, Christmas is the loneliest or most depressing time of the year when the need for a friend or family is most keenly felt.
Instead of looking for the opportunity, why not make the opportunity? Here are a few of the great suggestions Chuck Swindoll mentions in "A Christian's Christmas":
Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Express appreciation.
Make or bake something for someone else.
Release a grudge.
Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
Be gentle and patient with an angry person.
Listen.
Speak kindly to a stranger.
Enter into another's sorrow.
Take a walk with a friend.
As you "make the opportunity" and God opens hearts, be quick to share how Christ is working in your life.
I Peter 3:15 says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."
Excerpt from: Charles R. Swindoll. The Finishing Touch. p.606. Copyright 1994, Word Publishing, Dallas.
By Judy Hildebrandt
Do you have a question or need advice? Ask Dr. Muriel at
Dr. Muriel Larson, author of many books and thousands of published writings and songs, is a professional Christian writer, counselor and speaker, and has taught at writers' conferences across the United States. She serves as an E-Mail counselor with Truthmedia. Her web site, "Advice From God's Word," lists many helpful articles alphabetically by their descriptive titles: http://advicedrmuriel.blogspot.com
