This is my third post of Howard Thurman’s meditations relative to Christmas. In it he speaks of “Gifts on My Altar.” I hope you can think of gifts you’ve received and gifts you’ve given, particularly as this year turns toward its end.
I place these gifts on my altar this Christmas;
Gifts that are mine, as the years are mine:
The quiet hopes that flood the earnest cargo of my dreams:
The best of all good things for those I love,
A fresh new trust for all whose faith is dim.
The love of life, God’s precious gift in reach of all:
Seeing in each day the seeds of the morrow,
Finding in each struggle the strength of renewal,
Seeking in each person the face of my brother.
I place these gifts on my altar this Christmas;
Gifts that are mine, as the years are mine.