(~) The Legend of the Christmas Prayer
by Brian Morgan
Once upon a Christmas time, long ago, a man who had a big heart, but
little money, dreamt he could give his friends endless riches.
When he awoke, the dream kept running through his mind, over and over.
Finally, he asked himself: "If I could give my friends anything, what
would I give?"
He smiled as he began to think of all the wondrous things he could buy for
them. but then he thought: "I'm a happy man, yet I have none of those
things."
And he began to think that perhaps real wealth could not be measured in
riches. Perhaps there were gifts of greater value than the things money
could buy.
In the still of the night, he pondered these things and thought of
Christmas and what it meant to him.
Taking out his quill, he began to write on a parchment scroll:
On the first day of Christmas I pray for you joy in abundance and
laughter, for laughter cures our ills and joy makes our spirits soar.
On the second day of Christmas, I pray for you a sigh when you need one,
for a sigh clears the heart as a cough clears the throat, and with a sigh
comes acceptance of what we cannot change.
On the third day of Christmas, I pray for you tears when you need
them, for tears clear the eyes to see the stars and cleanse the soul to
let healing being.
On the fourth day of Christmas, I pray for you serenity, for fights and
wars start in individual breats and that is where they must end.
On the fifth day of Christmas, I pray for you wisdom, for our
priceless gift is the gift of choice - and we should use it well
every day, in word and deed.
On the sixth day of Christmas, I pray for you patience, for most
troubles pass if we wait them out, and success comes with persistence.
On the seventh day of Christmas, I pray for you courage, for there may be
many pitfalls and dangers ahead and problems can only be
solved when they are faced.
On the eighth day of Christmas, I pray for you compassion, for we
cannot help others until we understand them, and we cannot understand them
until we walk in their shoes.
On the ninth day of Christmas, I pray for you a willingness to work, for
work turns dreams to reality - whether the dreams are ours or belong to
those we can help.
On the tenth day of Christmas, I pray for you unwavering faith, for faith
shapes our morals and our destiny and draws us closer to God.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, I pray for you a mind full of hope, for
hope determines our attitudes, sets our goals and creates our ideals.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, I pray for you a heart so full of love
that every day you must give some away to those whose paths you cross.
And with each prayer, the man realized he was not giving a gift at all,
but hoping that his friends would find the gifts they already had within
them.
Each time he wrote a prayer, a marvelous thing happened. It seemed to him
that the prayer, although offered for his friends, remained in his heart
and produced in him the very thing he prayed for them.
The man copied his scroll and sent the Christmas prayer to special
friends, and that is where the legend of the Christmas Prayer is lost in
the mists of time.
The man was never heard of again but, over the years, the Christmas Prayer
began to appear all over the world.
People in obscure villages and big cities would receive at Christmas time
a copy of the scroll from a friend.
And so the wonder multiplied, until the story finally reached you. May
you, too, feel the warmth and enjoy the riches of the Christmas Prayer.
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
http://Rainbow-Christian.tk
The Lord is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
My Yahoo Group
http://Ninure.tk
My Online Diary
http://www.ninure.deardiary.net
-
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
http://www.MCCchurch.org
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