Ok, I have a confession. It took me until the end of January to get my live Christmas Tree down. It was such a great joy to have friends over to decorate the tree. But, taking down the tree was a tedious task. But, the more I think about my first Christmas Tree, I have come to the conclusion that I was secretly wanting to hold onto Christmas and all of its joy.

I wanted to savor the time spent with family loving on one another. Just to see the children sing with such joy one more time would have been thrilling. I desperately wanted to grasp the promise of a better world.

And, then I found one of my favorite poems by Howard Washington Thurman, The Work of Christmas. Thurman’s words spoke to me just as they have spoken to me through the years.

So, I share them with you as a blessing and reminder that Christmas does not end December 25th, but it goes on in each of us. Here’s to happy reading!

When the star in the sky is gone
When the Kings and Princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins.

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner,
To teach the nations,

To bring Christ to all,
To make music in the heart.