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.