Christmas Devotional

Last night was the First Presidency Christmas message. I love the messages every year. The main message, to me anyway, was to remember what the season is all about. President Uchtdorf reminded us not to be like the Grinch. President Eyring reminded us of Christ's mission. President Monson recalled a story from WWII in which there was a three-story house that a few American were living in. During the day an elderly German lady would come and clean the house and leave it sparkling. The America would go to the PX and get his allotment of candy bars, soap and a couple other things. He would use what he needed then store the rest in his footlocker. He decided that he was going to give this poverty-stricken women what was in his footlocker as a Christmas gift. He was feeling so proud of himself, thinking that she would be so grateful for the gift because she would be able to use it as currency in her village and be seen as a rich woman. He was very smug about the whole thing. He arrived home that night to find the gift and the woman gone, but on the table was 10 postcards pre-WWII with full buildings. The woman had put the postcards together to form a star, the Christmas Star. The woman's gift was not one of elegance or "Look at what good I have done". Her gift was one given of humility and love. Which ahs reminded me that the gift of love is better than a gift given that is elegant or over the top. There many gifts that we can give that are not of a monetary matter. We have many talents that we are able to share. May I encourage all those who actually read this blog to use the gifts and talents that you have been given to bless another person's life. The person you help will be more blessed than if you just give them the book they have been wanting because you may be giving them something they need but didn't realize it until you stepped in. Good luck this Christmas season. Merry Christmas!