Always Bring the Gift of Your Sunshine

For many of us, in these past few years our lives have certainly changed and rearranged! We might have the thought deep within that Christmas celebrations will only be a half-hearted affair this year due to a shortage of cash and possibly merchandise, the loss of a loved one, the invasion of the virus pandemic distancing us physically from others and work, and losing our homes due to forest fires and floods and tolerating the games the weather is playing.  

However, we can clearly understand that peace, happiness and joy do not depend upon a large bank balance or any physical thing for that matter. 

To wake up Christmas morning knowing you are alive and well, is in itself quite a gift. You may not have money or any present to pass on to someone, but simply the giving of your time and company to someone who is lonely is of great value to that individual.  

Loneliness is so painfully common these days; yet if each of us just spends a few moments to share the spiritual ‘sunshine’ of our love and company with someone who needs it, imagine what could be achieved.

The gifts of co-operation and enthusiasm are also very great. To be enthusiastic about someone else’s progress and to show genuine cooperation are priceless gifts we give to others. In the long run with giving we benefit the most; the more we give the more we receive. When we all help one another everyone wins.

If you have very little money to buy gifts for others, there are many ‘presents’ we can offer that will not even cost a cent, – kindness, caring, cheerfulness, love, patience and all the virtues. At least give the gift of a smile. Smiles are free and always available. Never mind the mask, the smile through the eyes is the greatest gift of all.   

This is a time when our stage has to be very stable. When we radiate the gift of the sunshine of Godly love from within, circumstances will come and go but we remain stable, smiling, without fluctuations, and difficulties disappear. 

(You can contact Sister Chirya Risely, from Owego, at bkchirya@gmail.com or at chirya.risely@peacevillageretreat.org.)