Christmas Cards

I confess, I didn’t do well on sending Christmas cards this year. But I love receiving them, so I’m determined to send some next year. They are a wonderful way to stay in touch with friends that we don’t see often anymore. To those of you who did send us a card, please know that I appreciate it!

One of the excuses I’ve used in the past is that it’s expensive to mail them nowadays. Yes, the price of stamps keeps going up and up. But when I think about it another way, it could be considered a bargain. Just think. I pay less than a dollar to have a personal greeting sent from Florida to California, for instance, and hand delivered right to the recipient’s mailbox. And the card didn’t cost me a great deal either, because I bought it on an after Christmas sale. So if I love my friends, and I do, I shouldn’t begrudge the expense of sending out beautiful greetings to them. Do you understand my rationale and see why I am determined to do better next year?

I’ve also been comparing my opportunities to those of the Apostle Paul. He often sent greetings to his friends far away. But he couldn’t mail them with envelopes and stamps. He had to find someone going to the far country, put the scroll in their hands, and trust them to be able to deliver it to the recipient. It would probably take a long time and go through a lot of dangerous scenarios. Hmm. . . I feel pretty fortunate.

While thinking about this subject, I looked up some of the precious greetings that Paul  sent. God inspired his writings, which blessed the receivers in those early church days. And God has continued to use the words throughout generations until our day.

Romans 16:3 –  Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Then Paul went on to greet 25 more people who were dear to him. Wow! He covered a lot of territory in that treatise to his Jewish and Gentile friends. And what a treasure for all of us!

Colossians 4:7-9 – Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here. Again, Paul went on to enumerate 7 more people specifically. His words weren’t just chit-chat. They were profound words of challenge and encouragement. In chapter 2, he writes: How I long that you may be encouraged, and find out more and more how strong are the bonds of Christian love. How I long for you to grow more certain in your knowledge and more sure in your grasp of God himself. May your spiritual experience become richer as you see more and more fully God’s great secret, Christ himself! For it is in him, and in him alone, that men will find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3, J. B. Phillips).

Not that we have anything so profound to say, but will you join me in sending greetings to dear friends next Christmas season? Aren’t we amazingly blessed?