A lot of people have given up.
My father fell off a barn when I was about thirteen years old. He cracked his vertebrae and missed about six months of work. There was no unemployment insurance, or federal relief money. Everything became very lean as life was put on hold in hopes of better days.
By Christmas my father was getting around on crutches. We had a Christmas tree but I dared not ask for anything for Christmas. I knew we didn't have any money. On Christmas Eve we had a family gathering and we had food to eat. There actually was some exchanging of gifts and my mother handed me a small wrapped box. I was shocked. I anticipated nothing. Opening the present I found a simple watch. I would guess it cost eight to ten dollars at the most. It might as well have been a Rolex. I was so surprised and couldn't believe my parents had bought me something for Christmas. I don't know how they did it.
A couple of months later my father was back to work and times became better as we hung in there and survived difficult times. The Christmas gift is stuck in my head as being one of the all time best. The gift was simple but great.
Most of us know about a difficult time in life. We've all been there in some way. Maybe you are there now. Possibly your heath is not so great and you are hoping for better days. You may be unemployed and you don't know how you are going to pay all the bills. Often life is never exactly as we had hoped or planned.
Every year of life is a little different and if you are reading this you still have hope. One of the keys to a better tomorrow is hanging in there today. It's easy to give up. Life can be discouraging. I heard an old preacher say one time, "The test of those who love God most are the ones at their post, when all the others have walked away."
Today…hang in there and remember what Christmas is about, "1… Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2: 10 – 11.
Glenn Mollette is an American columnist read in all fifty states.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Guest Editorial: Christmas Is About Hanging in There