Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXCIX

In essence what the man told me is that I was a liar. My kids were small at the time and I had told them Santa would be coming in one more week. I was in my thirties and was well aware of the truth about Santa, yet I was offended by that man's harshness and combative tone. Yes, I know he was making sure I understood his point of view about Santa and Christmas in general, but to be honest, I think in his eagerness to set me straight, he may have been violating a couple of the basic themes of the Christmas message: Peace on Earth and good will toward men. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume his intentions were pure, but the entire exchange started me to thinking about the real Christmas story. If I want to spread the message of Christmas, how do I go about doing it? How can I, as an individual, go about achieving the goal of "peace on Earth and good will toward men?" That's quite a task for one ordinary guy with just average intelligence, but I do have a plan. First of all, I must accept the fact that there's not much I can do about what world leaders and people in foreign countries choose to do, and any effort I might make to influence their actions will be futile. However, there is something I CAN do, but I admit I will need your help in this endeavor, because, trust me, it won't be easy. Hardly a day goes by that I don't have contact with a significant number of people. Each day, I should draw an imaginary circle around myself and everyone with whom I interact. Then, all I have to do is make sure I promote peace and good will toward those within my circle, and all you have to do is the exact same thing I'm doing. Once you and I start working on this project, we may be surprised at how much of a difference we'll see, especially in our own little .worlds, and the more of us who get involved, the bigger our circle of influence will become. Naturally, our first question has to be, "How do we go about spreading peace and good will in our circle?" This is where it gets tough. Our initial effort should be to find instructions in the Bible, such as "pray for those who spitefully use you" and "turn the other cheek." How easy is it to send best wishes to those who are spitefully using us? How hard is it, when we get slapped on the side of our face, to turn our face and say, "Hey, you missed a spot?" When someone tries to draw us into conflict, we respond with kindness. When others are spreading ugly rumors about us, we must remember one of our basic privileges, the right to remain silent, because anything we say can and will be used against us. Yep, remaining silent takes a real man or woman. On a more positive note, we can spread good cheer to those within our circle. We could try to become more generous, especially with genuine compliments, along with words of gratitude and encouragement. I've heard it said when we smile at another individual, it's like we're looking in a mirror, because that person will smile back at us. I've learned when I'm kind to someone else, they are more likely to be kind to me. When I smile at others, they will likely smile at me. When I'm truthful to my fellow man, he will likely be more truthful to me. When I help him, he will help me. It's just that someone has to act first, and that's where you and I come in. It's up to us to get it started. We can do it. No, I don't believe in Santa, but my grandchildren do, and I don't have a problem with it. I believe, however, that the best way to spread the real Christmas message of "peace on earth and good will toward men" is to actually live it, not just today, but every day of the year. Promoting peace and goodwill is not an event, it's a lifestyle. May you and those you love have a very Merry Christmas! Preston