I have loved Charles Dickens's Christmas Carol since I first heard it read in elementary school. I have watched the various cinematic adaptations from Albert Finney in 1970, George C. Scott in 1984 (my personal favorite) to Michael Caine in A Muppet Christmas Carol in '92.
On Christmas Eve Ebeneezer Scrooge's deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, warns him of three spirits that will come to visit for his benefit. If he does not heed their warning, Scrooge will spend eternity in a worse place than the miserable state Marley now finds himself. The spirits will attempt to open the eyes of the old miser to missed opportunities and poor decisions that have led to his current pathetic solitude. While Scrooge cannot alter the past, he may change the future, if he amends his ways. Ebeneezer learns that his actions have negatively affected many other lives besides his own.
The story should cause us to reflect on our own lives. How many regrettable poor decisions and missed opportunities are in the shadows of our past? Do we really know how many people we have passed without saying a kind word or offering a helping hand? How many times have we made excuses rather than listening and obeying what we know God has asked us to do? What blessings have we forfeited? How many sleepless nights have we endured because of guilt that could have been avoided by making a better choice? I believe many of us would answer; too many!
We may not be able to change the past, but we can alter the future. Only you are in control of how you treat others. You alone are responsible for making right decisions. Let's make a commitment during this season to reach out to someone and bless them. After his redemptive experience Christmas morning, Scrooge had the boy in the street to buy the big goose hanging in the window of the butcher down the street and deliver it to the Cratchits. Who could you unexpectedly bless this Christmas? All of us who have been redeemed are called by our Redeemer to offer a cup of cold water in His name. When we do we shall receive a reward. (Matthew 10:42) Tis the season to learn the truth of God's Word: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) Have a blessed Christmas season!
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