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“Christmas is a time of year when Want is keenly felt and Abundance Rejoices”. …Charles Dickens.
I’m not sure about you or what you think about when you hear the words Abundance, but to me I tend to see the Ghost of Christmas Present, lounging upon his throne of Abundance. “Heaped upon the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch, that made the chamber dim with their delicious steam. In easy state upon this couch, there sat a jolly Giant, glorious to see, who bore a glowing torch, in shape not unlike Plenty’s horn.”
OH what a sight to see, Indeed, yet as I sat in the sparkling light of my Christmas tree on Christmas Eve night, surveying the wondrous Abundance that filled my own chamber, (minus the sucking-pigs and wreaths of sausages) I could not help thinking, somewhat, like Cindy Lou Who, who questioned “Doesn’t this seem a bit superfluous?” Please don’t misunderstand, I love spending the day opening presents with family, enjoying the sweet and savoury treats of the season, sipping steaming cups of mulled holiday wine and then, at last, sitting back with a great, contented sigh. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of wrapping and baking and cooking and rushing (well, almost) and I do confess to having said on more than one occasion that Quantity Counts! (In jest of course) (nearly), but how much quantity is enough?
How much is Abundance?
To some this word brings thoughts of expensive jewelry, racy sports cars, (one for each day of the week!), brand name clothing, fine perfumes, Dom Perignon, (Or if you are me, Veuve Clicquot), trips to Italy, Hawaii, or the Caribbean, Belgian chocolates, or anything else you fancy that you, ordinarily, cannot afford. Yet, the kings of old had all these things, (well, in one form or another), Rome was filled to bursting with Abundance and Jerusalem was rich with The Temple of David; still, the Herald of the Heavens, the Glory of the Lord, a vast Multitude of Angels sang in resplendent joy of the Birth of the Saviour not to the Kings, High Priests, Governors, and wealthiest of men, but to those few, poor shepherds who lived in the fields with their sheep.
This small cluster of followers had little Abundance, in the worldly view; they had only what they needed to survive each day: food, clothing, a tent to cover their heads, perhaps, and maybe a musical instrument carved from wood, which they might use to serenade the quiet evenings in humble praise. Nevertheless, what they lacked in material wealth, they made up for in spiritual Abundance. They were rich in their love and kinship; they were wealthy in their appreciation of simple pleasures, of goats milk, perhaps, and wild honey; they were prosperous in sharing their faith and traditions. They were Abundant in all those things that, we too, value above all else: Hope, Faith, Joy and Love.
So whether The Ghost of Christmas Present poured out the light of his shimmering torch upon you and yours this holiday, or whether you celebrated in quiet, homespun holiday tradition, without all the froof, jing-tinglers, and hulabaloo, Perchance, this simple notion might settle softly amoung the gifts under your tree, as it did mine this year: That All the Abundance in the World cannot Shine more Brightly, Please more Completely, or Linger as Enduringly as the Gift the Herald of Heaven brought that quiet night so long ago.
~Morgan~
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Ghost of Christmas Present found at: pjlynchgallery.blogspot.com
Heavenly Herald found at: blogs.nd.edu
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