God Bless Us, Every One!

“God bless Us, Every One!”

The infamous words of Tiny Tim that inspire me and help provide a guide for how I want to live my life, especially at Christmas. It has been a while since I actually read A Christmas Carol and I decided that I needed to this year. I’m so glad I did.

There were a few passages that particularly stuck out to me –

“. . . there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour.”

I have found this to be so true in my life. It is my goal to find great pleasure in small things and endeavor to share that happiness with those around me. I know I am always so grateful for people around me who provide those moments of joy through laughter.

"A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, whatever he is!" said Scrooge's nephew. "He wouldn't take it from me, but may he have it, nevertheless."

What a wonderful example! Scrooge does nothing to “deserve” the well-wishes of his nephew and yet his nephew extends them anyway. This will continue to go on my “to work on” list. Just another version of the golden rule, right?

"They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!" cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And bide the end!"  "Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge.  "Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?" 

As I read these words I realized that even if I don’t outwardly profess the kind of attitude that Scrooge did, I might do so in deed. It made me stop and think about the way I look at, talk to, talk about, think about and act toward those around me.

 "Ghost of the Future!" he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?"

. . .

“Scrooge was at first inclined to be surprised that the Spirit should attach importance to conversations apparently so trivial; but feeling assured that they must have some hidden purpose, he set himself to consider what it was likely to be.”

What a change, and what an example. It can be very difficult to recognize when someone is trying to do us good, especially when we feel uncomfortable or do not understand where they are going with their efforts. But what a great attitude. Not only does Scrooge recognize the intent of this spirit, he also vows to endure the discomfort he feels with a thankful heart.

“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.  He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” 

This is my wish on this Christmas day – that we may all be blessed to feel the love of God.