Are you willing . . .

Are you willing . . .

by Henry Van Dyke

To stoop down and consider the needs

and desires of little children;

To remember the weakness and loneliness

of people who are growing old;

To stop asking how much your friends love you,

and ask yourself whether you love them enough;

To bear in mind the things that other people

have to bear in their hearts;

To trim your lamp so that it will give more light

and less smoke,

and carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you;

To make a grave for your ugly thoughts

and a garden for your kindly feeling,

with the gate open?

Are you willing to do these things for a day?

Then you can keep Christmas . . .

After all, Christmas-living is the best kind of Christmas-giving.

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Wow, when I read this poem it REALLY spoke to me and some of those are great challenges to me. It came from a book called If You're Missing Baby Jesus (A True Story that Embraces the Spirit of Chrismas) by Jean Gietzen. I had wanted to read it to the kids this Christmas and I didn't get it done. I still might just read it to them even though Christmas is done.