Christmas is all about LOVE, really.  In I Corinthians, chapter 13, the apostle Paul talks about the Love that comes from God as seen in the Christ Child…“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.”.  One of my favorite children’s books is entitled “All the Places to Love” by Patricia MacLachlan, paintings by Mike Wimmer.  The story is told by a small boy at the birth of his little sister.  He remembers his own birth..

He recalls his granddad carving his name on the rafter of the barn along with the names of other family members…

Eli explains the love he feels through his grandparents sharing their favorite places with him…the field, the barn, the river, picking blueberries, turtles and toads crossing his path…

When his little sister is born, Granddad carves her name on the rafter beside Eli’s name…

Eli decides he will show his little sister all the places to love, and tells her that she will find them all right where she is, no matter where she lives.  “Where else does a turtle or a toad crossing your path make all the difference in the world?”

On our Advent Journey we discover that all our names are carved in the rafters of the stable where the Baby Jesus was born, Savior of the world.  We are all part of the family of God.  And out of that gift comes all the places to love, wherever we might be.

nk

Pondering…

If you were to show someone your favorite places to love, where would you take them?