Tis the Season…for Hallmark Christmas movies!
In my inaugural blog last Advent, I revealed my love for Christmas movies. I admit that the story lines can be a teensy bit overdone and often even corny, but their touching sentiments always keep me coming back for more. In my first blog I provided a top 10 list of how to find love according to Hallmark – mostly in jest. But beyond any silliness I am drawn in by how these stories show us how to give and even receive love.
And at its core, that’s what hospitality [Christmas] is all about Charlie Brown.
Being hospitable has always represented a giving of myself; being the hostess with the mostest. Upon reflecting about hospitality, however, I was gifted with a couple of signs that led me to a deeper understanding of graciously receiving hospitality from others.
My first sign came at Mass one Sunday. Prior to Mass starting I prayed for direction for writing this blog and I got just that during Communion when we sang The Servant Song. The first verse is:
Will you let me be your servant, Let me be as Christ to you; Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too.
In that moment of receiving the Eucharist, Christ was showing me in the most profound way the value of allowing others to help and sacrifice for me and that being a humble recipient of love and service can be a grace to us all.
My second sign came from you guessed it, a Hallmark Christmas movie.
One of the characters was having difficulty accepting help when he had no way of repaying the kindness. He was reminded that a genuine kindness does not need to be repaid and that letting others help you is just as much of a gift as receiving it.
With gifting and acts of service being high on my love languages list, it is often hard for me to be on the receiving end. With this newfound perspective, I hope that giving AND receiving kindnesses will have new meaning for me and bring special graces to all involved. This Christmas season I pray we are all filled with the joy and grace of receiving the greatest gift of all. Merry Christmas!
