Pondering My Christmas Gifts - The Eighth Day of Christmas

Greetings and Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year Beloved Readers,

As promised I am writing twice today to catch up so that this series will end properly on the twelfth day of Christmas or Epiphany. I found that I am missing the workings of school but that will be handled soon enough as we begin again next week. As a dear friend said last night, I will not wish away the time in between as it is her vacation from teaching as well and she needs the rest. That said, I am anxious to see some of my students who are both very important to me and not in my normal circle of movement. In them I see something for which I am eternally grateful. I see that Christ still has a purpose in both my life and my current distress.

I want to focus though on a particular gift Christ has bestowed upon me as I enter the year. It is that there are these people in my life who need to see Christ and that Christ sees fit to clean me up enough for them to catch a glimpse of what he has to offer in me.

I can attest to how far I have come because of Christ’s love and grace. Long ago in my far past I was headed only for death and destruction. But even then he saw fit to send along a flawed broken human who he had polished up just enough for me to see Christ in him.

I can think of eight men who I interact with daily who need to embrace Christ fully or need a deeper relationship with him. Avalon’s departure has forced me to examine myself and see how I can better be the example Christ wishes me to be. It is in this trail that I have found that I care so much more about the hearts and spirits of my students than I ever thought I could. And in that caring there is a list of eight young men who need all that Christ has for them and the richness that is found in being his and his alone.

I have put their names on a sticky note by my monitor. I will spend the year praying for them daily just so I can have a small part in their journey toward Christ. More importantly, they help me keep my eyes off of myself and on things that matter eternally.

So on the eighth day of Christmas my Savior gave to me, eight men I can help see, seven figures under the tree, six more days of rest, five perfect things, four children to gather round me, the blessing of the Trinity, twice the joy of giving, and a purpose for carrying his tree.

Wishing you joy in the journey, Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year

Aramis Thorn