Thoughts on Christmas Eve
I just returned from Christmas Eve service at a beautiful mountain chapel here in Colorado. For whatever reason Christmas Eve brings out a lot of emotion for me, and this year was made even more poignant by a special guest at the service. Two years ago the pastor introduced us to a local Marine just back from a tour in Iraq. This year, the Marine was welcomed back under very different circumstances. In the course of a deployment to Afghanistan he suffered grievous injuries from an IED and lost both his legs. During a very difficult recovery this past year he made a commitment to walk into the chapel this Christmas Eve…and he did…to a standing ovation from all of us there. What a demonstration of the spirit of the season and a heartfelt expression of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. This Christmas Eve I give thanks for all the gifts and joys of my life, and I also give thanks for the service of this young man and the lessons we can learn from his perseverance and heart.
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