I know what you’re thinking … I’ve got my posts mixed up, and I’m posting a New Year’s meditation on Christmas Day.
No. This is a Christmas reflection.
A quiet morning, this Christmas morning. A little time to read by the fire. And here I find the Christmas story. This is from The Hawk and the Dove, a novel by Penelope Wilcock. One of her characters reflects:
‘It’s a funny thing. The thing life is fullest of is the thing we find hardest to believe in. New beginnings. The incredible gift of a fresh start. Every new year. Every new day. Every new life. What wonderful gifts! And when we spoil things, and life goes all wrong, we feel dismayed, because we find it so hard to see that we can start again. God lets us share it too, you know. Only God can give life, it’s true — make a new baby or a new year — but he gives us the power to give each other a new beginning, to forgive each other and make a fresh start when things go wrong.’
The story of Christmas — a fresh start, a new beginning, new hope for God’s creation.
He gave us that gift one night in Bethlehem.
As His children, living by the power of His Spirit, may we give the gift as generously to others.
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Living with great expectation ... 
This is beautiful. This Christmas, the fact that Jesus came and hence created a pathway to Heaven for us means more to me than it ever has. I know my beloved Frank and I will eventually be together again. Best friends in Heaven. Only because He came.
Claire, I’ve been reading your sketches of Frank — it’s a wonderful way to remember him. I think you were blessed to have shared so much with him.
Thank you. My friends call my writing “therapy.” For me and for them. We all miss him. Glad to let others kind of know him,too.