Eric's Sunday Sermon; The Big Takeaway

If it is OK with the reader let us begin in a very special style. It is a promise that if you consider it just a bit and not read it like the back of your cereal box while scarfing breakfast down already late for the office then it will mean something. Otherwise at this point I beg of you to give your excuses and pardon yourself away from this dinner table of life.

Did we partake of the festivities as heathens and heartless souls or did we engulf ourselves, or even gorge ourselves, with that notion of love on Christmas. Let us assure you that many of us went very much further astray than you. Oh the heartless vicissitudes of an all powerful God, laughing at us in our folly. Once again proving that man plans and God laughs. Let us throw back our heads in our chair and reflect on that which went wrong, or not according to our plans and expectations.

Now let us gauge our empirical and materialistic responses. Notice we do not say, “judge” our actions. But rather view them as a hawk high on the wind. Fully out of our contemplation, understanding and judgment as to how well she does. “How well you handled yourself” is not the issue we seek resolution of. Simply the ease of watching the leaf on a stream that we did not create, did not set afloat and are powerless to control. This is the essence of our reflection of how we behaved. Guilt and morose and travesty and justice are blown into the wind like a bit of pollen too small to see.

Were we the peacemakers? Were we the ones that held our tongue? Did we sit quietly with a smile as one of ours opened the present we had brought in the name of love? Did we become the life of the party or someone who made it a party of life?

Was I right to gently hold on to my young son’s hand as we opened a gift together using our other hand together? Was the kiss to my lady soft enough, gentle enough and yet passionate and long enough to express my heart’s deep appreciation – not for a gift but for her being there? If by now you have judged yourself. Set that judgment on a shelf and join us further.

Our hearts are gained by others by their control over us. I do believe that this is a good thing if not taken too far. My love cradles my heart safely in her bosom of desire to love me. Do I take advantage? Did I take advantage and will I take advantage? Perhaps our day of togetherness and family and God will decide. Or just as probable there is nothing to decide.

Did that day we call Christmas nurture me and fuel the fire I have for love of my fellows? Were my genuine desires of peace on earth and good will toward others kindled or snuffed out like so many weak candles?

Our greatest blessings can be our strongest curses if we so allow our heart to be blocked from that energy that lets a woman expand in her love of all that is life. We truly cannot control or design our own blessings, all we can do is contribute to what is the life force that bestows them upon us, and others, even those we cannot and will not know.

A normal folk takes a deep breath right now and questions the sanity of the writer. I know that I do ;-) But we forge on in a quest to feel and deliver love more boldly. If you read the foregoing and had to read a sentence or two twice – I really do appreciate it. If you left, then you are not reading this.

“I am sorry but my children do not love me or they would show it this way”. “My wife does not even know what I wanted for Christmas,,, oops maybe I did not let her know”. Eric does not know how to act around people, there must be something wrong as he sits smiling and listening to the music in his head.

And yet we know the answer to all of these thoughts whether put into questions or not. Perhaps the tough year behind us has jaded us to the notion of receiving love as it is truly offered. It would seem that the receiver has more issues than the offeror.

Will we ever get it right? I certainly hope not! Then what would be left to learn of any magnitude of importance? Washing the dishes is important, by cleanliness it keeps our family free from harmful germs. But something of a magnitude of importance is sitting with an old person simply stroking the hand taken or smiling or maybe kissing and hugging. Perhaps a day of not looking at the 25year old buff model as something great to look at, but rather holding wrinkles in high esteem. Perhaps a day to look at the landscape painted on others faces rather than trying to appreciate that which is told to us is appealing.

We run close to the ending here. Dang it, do not look upon it as close to ending for you. My mom who was quite the demanding lady about getting everything just right for Christmas, once out of the blue, told me that it is not what you take to Christmas that is important, it is what you take from it. And then told me that, she would tell it to ____ and _____ my older siblings but that they would not get it. I chuckled as that is what she taught them. They were busy counting coup.

Let us even suggest to ourselves that we did not get it right this year. Let us be assured that this author did not get it right for this holiday. He failed again as is the past behind him. But on the 11^th of May this year he, if he really tries to mesh with that God of his, might get it right for a moment. Who the hell knows what just might happen on the 11^th, it is not a date with human import, but it may be the date that something can be done to help another in love.

Do not look over here for answers, we do not do that here for the answers are yours and yours alone. Yes I meant that. God does not give answers, He gives equations for us to solve. Never once has He patted me on the back and said “you got that just right”. If I rely on that I shall be a fool that holds his head underwater to see if he can breathe water.

So I think that if you read this whole piece that you took away what is right. I really have no illusion that you took away what I thought you should. It was my intention here to hopefully give you one line of thought that helped you come up with your own. But perhaps if you thought about this and reflected about what you can take away to be a better you, you just kicked fate and destiny in the butt and will make your own reality.

It is so cool. I do not do New Year’s resolutions. I do post-Christmas revelations. It seems to lead me into a commitment and not a promise.