thedailyfish.net

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

 “I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

 http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

 Genesis 3:19

My Friends and Fellow Five Golden Rings:

‘Tis CHRISTmas Eve.

I have one FISH done and another almost finished. The regularly scheduled FISH (the one under construction) is being preempted by this one because I am caused to write it.

I could see pretty early on that the one under construction might take a not-so-festive tone and being the day before Christ’s Birth, I felt it indelicate.

It won’t be any less indelicate on Thursday or Friday when I send it out but it will not conflict with Midnight Mass on your calendar!

But maybe we should just spend a few minutes taking stock of our lives.

Some of us are doing OK, some of us not so much.  Some of us have not a care in the world and some of us are saddled with almost insurmountable problems.

And it really makes no difference in the long term.  We are here but for a short time.  Let’s make the best of it as best as we can.

I was talking to my friend, Ben, whose wife Brigid I have asked for prayers.  (And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep them in your prayers.)  I am not going to go into the details but Brigid went into cardiac arrest and was dead for 15 minutes a few days ago.  There was a weird thing which happened to her and that caused the cardiac arrest.  While she was brought back, she will most likely suffer other permanent physical issues over and above the ones already impacting her organs.

I have had almost daily contact with Ben either via text or phone just to give him some support.  (I did send a rather long email to him containing your thoughts and prayers and he asked me to relay his deep appreciation and thanks.)  I gotta tell you, he is holding up far better than I would in his position.  But he always seemed strong and is facing things head on. 

He related far more but this is not the time or the place and I am trying to keep as much private as I can.  But the things which struck me were that he has accepted that his life has changed forever, that this will be his life 24/7 and that he has not lost his faith.

In fact, if anything, I sense that his faith is even stronger than before.  A weaker person would blame someone else and failing to find a physical being to cast blame upon, they would often blame God for the misery and pain.  Far too often the only time God is in the lives of people who blame Him for something is when they are blaming Him for something.

And that brings me back to the point, not that I had one when I started this thing.

Tomorrow we celebrate the Birth of Jesus.  (And I know it was not in December…)  I am not all that concerned if you are a believer or not, Christian or Jew, but you have to admit that irrespective of your beliefs of lack of them, Jesus was the most important person in history.  (Before you shoot me off a little note, consider that again in purely an historical context.)

Perhaps He is the most uniting Person who ever lived.  Some might say the most divisive.  But the fact remains that a poor Little Child born in a manger over two millennia ago still affects our lives on a daily basis.

(If you do not think that is true, look at the wars in a world, look at the rationale employed by this Maladministration.  It seems to me that Biff & Co. make every decision based on “What Would Jesus Do”, and then they do the exact opposite.  Sorry, did not want to go there today but…)

So, maybe tomorrow, we look at 25 December as not just another day, not just a Wednesday this year, but as something special.

Maybe it is not special to you and mores the pity. But it is special to someone else and we do not want to rain on anyone else’s parade, now do we.

Most of us will spend time with friends and family.  That is great. But, is there anyone you know who does not have any place to go for CHRISTmas?  Maybe you can invite them for some of your festivities. 

Maybe YOU are the difference between someone having a miserable day and having their faith in God and man renewed.  There are so many instances of murder and suicide at this time of the year, perhaps the greatest present you may receive is the knowledge that YOU made a difference in someone’s life, that YOU may have even saved their life.

I am trying to remain upbeat but you hear these horrific stories in the news and you wonder what makes someone so desperate, so filled with despair that they turn to murder and suicide.

And you wonder if someone smiled and said “Merry CHRISTmas” to someone considering a dastardly deed if it that would have made a difference.  Or, if you invited someone who lives alone to join you, if that might not change them for the better forever.

My kids and g’kids are on the other side of the Country.  Of course I will speak with them all and perhaps do Skype or Facetime and that will be fine. Not a substitute for being there but better than being without them. But I will spend time with family here and it will be nice.  We will go to Mass on CHRISTmas Eve, then off for dinner and more at an aunt’s home.  Then strada and champaign for CHRISTmas breakfast, do the gifts, them off to a cousin’s house for an early dinner.

(I will hope that Santa puts the bottles of scotch I hope that he is bringing in age order and that there is sufficient to go around.)

And I will keep you all in my prayers tomorrow and pray that you get all the things you need, be they material, spiritual, medical or whatever. And just maybe you may also get some things you think you want.

I will think of Ben and Brigid and their two small children and only imagine what kind of CHRISTmas they are having.  I will imagine that they are the only gifts they need, one another.

I will think of all those just waiting for a call or an invite to go somewhere or do something.  Maybe the person making that call will be you.  Or, maybe you are waiting for that call.  I don’t know.

I will think that some two-thousand years ago a Baby was born into this world and the world has not been the same since.  I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior as I know many of you do.  I know He has the power to change things, to answer our prayers and to make our lives right, if only we let Him.

He is the Reason for the season and that is that.   I am not asking anyone to do anything except that which you feel in your heart.  There is something there, it is a gift for someone.  Please do not ignore it.

Your favorite curmudgeon will return with his regular bile and sarcasm soon.

Till then, no matter what you believe or not, I wish each and every one of you and your families the Merriest of all Possible CHRISTmas’s and a Blessed and Healthy New Year.

I love you all.  I mean it.