“Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee,” (Acts 3:6). So saying, Peter and John, specially blessed by God, gave a lame man the gift of walking.
I have no miraculous abilities, but I do have a heart of gratitude: of thankfulness to God for the gift of His Son and the many other blessings he has showered upon me, for you, my friends and family, and for the fans of Darcy, Flora, and Ned. Without you, my writing efforts would amount to nothing.
I don’t have silver and gold either, but if I could, I’d give you things worth much more: the gift of faith–faith in God, in the superiority of doing good and not evil, in believing that ultimately God will set all things right.
I would give you the gift of joy, of being glad in the small things of life, the intricate handiwork of a flower, the miracle of life, the wisdom in a baby’s eyes, and the innocence in his smile.
And, I would give you the gift of hope so that even in the darkness of grief and hurt, of bewilderment at acts of hatred and ignorance, in questioning what is happening and why it is happening, you have that small candle of hope flickering inside your heart that refuses to let you give way to despair and inspires you to lift your head and keep going.
Most of all, I’d give to you the gift of love. Love is the hearth fire at which we warm ourselves when life feels like the whole world is a cold, uncaring place. Love helps us forgive harshness and even cruelty. Love for God, for others, for ourselves makes every day a day worth living, of expectantly looking for the good, of overcoming what is not good. Love is nourishment for the soul.
Materially speaking, I can pass on to you a couple of gifts that were given to me: the gifts of the love of reading and writing. I cannot remember when I didn’t love both. When I write, I have no illusions about being a great writer or writing a momentous book that will change the world. I write because it gives me a sense of pleasure and fulfillment and the hope that when you read what I’ve written, you’ll feel the same.
I write what I believe, that good will always triumph, that faith in God will see you through some pretty tough times, that you should be able to pick up a book with the confidence that you won’t be thrown any curves, and that, at the end of the day, a warm hearthfire, a good cup of coffee, and a friendly pet will help set things right. Most of all, I want you to have fun when you read my cozy mysteries.
These two days before Christmas, I hope that those of you who face the holidays with sadness will find comfort, and that we all embrace the expectancy and joy that shine on the faces of children when they scramble out of bed on Christmas morning. And, may that wonderful, warm glow last the whole year.
Beautiful Blanche, simply beautiful. Thank you.
You are welcome, dear friend and neighbor. And, thank you!