My God Its Full of Stars
Keeping Perspective
By Rev. Paul V. Scholl

The Christmas season is both one of great joy and great despair for many people. It symbolizes the end of another year of hard work, a cycle of relationships, a benchmark for how we’ve done. Often the joy of living gets lost in the failures of life.

Gratitude is misplaced, and is difficult to find. But find it we must. Gratitude for the life we do have, the love around us, and gratitude for our current station in life.

We get caught up in the shopping, the parking, the driving to and from the next retail outlet to get something we absolutely must have as that special present for someone. We get caught up in approval before love.

One of my own “You might want to get a little perspective about this one” thoughts is “And what do those in our military have to do?” When I think of their sacrifices, their separation from family, their duty to our country, their honor, it re-aligns my understanding in the moment. All of us forget we maintain our freedom through them, not the politicians in Washington DC.

The first Christmas season without a loved one is always difficult. Through a Loved one’s passing, we are often amazed at what our family will do to comfort us, to support us, and respect our grieving. My family amazes me.

“Fear not, for I am always with you” Jesus Christ

There is great joy in Christmas. That joy multiplies as we share it with others. It multiplies when we smile at and wish others “Merry Christmas” along our way.

When we carry that joy with us throughout the year we attract more joy to us. We find new relationships, new friendships, new trust, new joyful love. We learn to develop our joyful love and we grow as human beings. We grow as spirit. We grow into an ever-widening circle of love and understanding that encompasses our own daily universe. Our love relationships deepen, and deepen, and deepen as we surrender to joy.

The depth of joy and the depth of strife around the world is of human creation. Wars over egos more than need, needless destruction by gangs in our cities because that’s all they know, and the destruction of ourselves over lack of understanding. We can change all this. Change Christmas into Compassion. Compassion for families who suffer from the destruction of others. Even if it is only with our prayers of compassion when we hear of someone else’s loss through an incomplete news report.

With the world in a financial struggle, a meltdown of the like we haven’t seen in many years, families are faced with paying the electric bill, buying food, or buying that new electronic toy that won’t work anyway if the power is not on. Parents have to explain what is really happening financially to their children for the first time. Grandparents, working a lifetime to save and enjoy their later years, see it stolen by poor government leadership and another’s greed.

Strength is needed. By all of us. Christmas is the symbol of our coming back together as family and surviving together. We must resurrect our righteousness, trying in all things to do what is right. We must search out our beliefs, our knowingness of the love for God and of humankind. We must find our faith and sustain it.

Each of us is a star in at least one other person’s universe. As long as we are here, shining is what we do best. With all that happens on this earth and in our daily lives, if we just shine to better that one person’s life, then we may very well be living out our purpose. Stars shine, and in their shining, they survive.

Ultimately, you do what you must do to survive. You shine because you can. You love because you can.

You support your children from that innate parental duty and wanting for them a better world and a better shot at life. You buy and give gifts from love and a willingness for the expression of your love. You enjoy the joy on another’s face when they feel that love from you. A single gift can give perspective.

“We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise then when we first begun” John Newton

What “is” is so immense we miss it. We look deeply into the mirror and see the reflection of one universe. If we would just look upon the stars we would see the reflection of another.

I don’t know where I’d be without my faith. In the same place, or close to it, perhaps. But with the faith that carries me I know I can still carry at least one other for this day, God willing.

For all of us, keeping the holiday season in perspective can be as simple as going out in the middle of the cold,

With Love and Compassion, Merry Christmas