Author: Jennifred Jones

Can We Say, “Merry Christmas?”

Jennifred Jones

 

While shopping the other day a fellow customer started to say, “Merry Christmas” to me and then stopped halfway through and looked at me with uncertainty and almost a guilty feeling, and said, “Can I say that?” I said, “Yes, you can.” …and wished her a Merry Christmas back. After we parted ways, my thoughts took over.

Here we have good people trying to spread good tidings to others yet feeling restrained in order to abide by an unspoken law for fear of offending someone.

My thoughts took me back to elementary school when we had Christmas parties in our classroom and the majority of the families celebrated Christmas so that was ok. There were a number of other faiths in our class, it being a college town with many nationalities present, and often students would question, ‘what would the non-Christmas celebraters do during the class party?’ The teacher stated that no one was obligated (forced) to attend the party. They could go home early, stay at their desk and not participate, or they were welcome to join in the fun.

It was not a big deal, that’s just the way our American heritage led us and so we celebrated Christmas out of the joy and love of our hearts.

Today, the fear of recrimination by the ‘politically correct’ (whoever these people really are) causes many good people attempting to do good things, to not do or say them because of that fear, and it can feel very intimidating.

Why would people seek to stop, or control, or outlaw good things that others do, that are a part of our particular country’s heritage just because not everyone may be of that persuasion?

It’s hurting no one, just say ‘thank you’, and receive it as a thoughtful gesture. Yours is merely a different opinion.

We are a free nation, founded on belief in God and His goodness. We cannot become all things to all men and compromise our convictions;  yet we can be kind, polite and friendly to everyone without changing or squelching our beliefs.

Saying Merry Christmas is hurting no one. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. If the other person doesn’t observe what you do, let it pass, but don’t give up your faith over it.

I’ve traveled to other countries, and personally, it wouldn’t occur to me to be offended and ask them to stop doing their particular celebrations because they weren’t my style. That is their heritage and I have mine; besides it’s fun to see how other countries live their lives.

Let’s strive to maintain our own Godly heritage and convictions while seeking to do good to all.

 

 

 

 

Helping one can help many

Jennifred Jones

Yesterday, at church, our pastor prayed for all the people hurt or affected in any way by the recent horrific earthquake in Nepal.

Today as I looked at pictures of distraught people desperately looking for missing members of their families, I remembered several Asian Indians who own the gas station in my neighborhood. I have met and talked with them at other times and knew they had family over in that area, and the thought came that I should check about their families.

When I asked if his family was alright, the owner said, “Yes, thank God!” I was immediately relieved, but noticed the look of gravity on his face because of the effect on their home country land.

Returning home, I thought, “I cannot go over there and help physically, I know of no immediate way to get relief to the region, what can I do to help?”

Besides praying for them, the thought occurred to bake something and take to them as a small tangible token of compassion and care on my behalf for them and their suffering people.

They like spicy foods, so my cranberry-orange scones sounded like a good recipe to use, and I took them back to the gas station while they were still warm from the oven, and hoped there wouldn’t be anybody in line… so I could talk to them.

The store looked empty inside and I handed him my cranberry scone gift and told him that since I couldn’t go over there to help and didn’t know what else to do to ease the suffering, I was giving them this small token to let them know I cared about them and their people.

It was a heartfelt moment between two people, two different nationalities, bonding as fellow human beings with like concerns about family, life, suffering and compassion.

He was touched, I felt like crying just from the emotion of the moment, and as I turned to leave, I noticed a line of people had come in behind me, no doubt observing the whole thing. I tried quietly to get out the door.

It was back to business as usual.

Only the love of God can cause something beautiful to come from something ugly like an earthquake.

…just a do-gooder?

Jennifred Jones

How many times growing up when somebody attempted to do something nice for someone, say something nice to someone or actually did something nice for someone, were they accused of being a ‘do-gooder’. Today it is called ‘sucking-up’.

Since no one wants to be called names or accused of the above terms, many, many people with good intentions do nothing…absolutely nothing. And nothing good comes out of it.

I have been accused of being a ‘do-gooder’. I have let the fear of false accusations stop me from doing good, from helping others, from doing what I felt (knew) was right, because I was afraid of others calling me names.

There are many accusers trying to prevent others from doing good. In actuality, if the accusers had someone do something really good for them, they probably would change their tune. But the ole’ fear of what others might think or say holds many back.

The older I get, and the more pain and suffering I see, the more I realize the need to silence those fears, expose them for what they are and begin doing as much good as possible. We are each only given so much time on this earth… and there are a lot of needs … many hurting people, hurting in all kinds of unimaginable ways…hurting quietly, hoping no one will hear them cry. Are we going to continue to let them hurt when we can help them?

All it takes is to be on the lookout for ways in our everyday life to say, Hi, to be friendly to the cashier, or the old man behind us in line, to holler across the street at the neighbor and ask how they’re doing, to look our young people in the eye, smile at them and talk to them with interest, just show them somebody cares.

Don’t be afraid of being called a ‘do-gooder’ or a ‘suck-up’. Go out there and get busy doing as much good as you can.

Prove the accuser wrong…you’re doing good because people need to have good done to them.

Dissolve the accuser’s accusations by doing good– even to them!