FAMILIEN UND FREUNDE

IT’S CHRISTmust SEASON

Every 365 days we’ve learned to celebrate a truly unknown event—the actual day and location of Christ’s birth. For hundreds of years, biblical and theological archeologists have searched and searched for precise, accurate evidence of when and where our beloved Christ was born. We wish them all well on their valuable searches and look forward to their successful discoveries,…

BUT

While they search, what should we focus our own “searches” on? We are unaware of anyone disproving the birth, life, and the heartfelt knowledge that our Christ Jesus shared with his followers and listeners. Throughout the many declarations and recommendations captured in print by his apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus said and repeated many times, “You—all of you following Me—MUST love one another, MUST support one another, and MUST share GOD’S love with one another.”

He didn’t say to share God’s love on just one day a year, He said share it many times a day, whenever and wherever you and we need to reach out in love to someone. Yes, it’s fun and meaningful to share love during the Christmas season, but how often do you or we need to bring “Christmas joy and love” to a friend or family any other time during the year?

Our LGBTQ+ plus families lives can be enriched and recharged every time one of us reaches out to them, maybe through a phone call, a loving text message, a video chat, and wherever possible a knock on their door to enter and share real touched elbows, and wherever safe, real hugs. COVID has definitely altered our best ways to greet and embrace our wonderful LGBTQ+ families, but it doesn’t mean we should stop reaching out, “touching” visually or “hearing” physically. Your outreaches are more impactive than you might think or realize. A kind word when someone is down, feeling rejected or unwanted, can and will brighten their day.

Jesus told us, asked us, and pleaded with us to reach out and touch others around you. Share God’s love with them; help their days be brighter and warmer. Carolyn and I feel deep warmth when we see a family reach out and connect with another family. We shiver with loving emotions when we learn of families helping other families. We feel confident that Jesus and his angels are sitting on their heavenly benches, looking down on every family loving another family, and they ALL SMILE AND GIVE HEAVENLY THUMBS UP!

Let’s learn to enjoy the CHRISTmust love season all year long, every day, every hour. We can all share Jesus’s gift of God’s love to all we “touch.”

Let’s make 2022 a wonderful, loving, family-loving year of CHRISTmust love activities.

— Hugs from John & Carolyn Wilt, Families and Friends Coordinators