Did I Offer Peace Today?
Today is St. Nicholas Day, a day much loved by children and adults alike. The tradition, one that started in northern Europe and has spread around the world, is that children place their little shoes out in their home the night before St. Nick's, and then awaken to find them filled with chocolate coins or other treats in the morning. It is from this practice that our modern tradition of Christmas stockings developed.
Much of what makes the traditions associated with St. Nicholas Day so meaningful is that they are, in fact, based on a real person. Nicholas was a fourth-century Christian saint and also the Greek Bishop of Myra (now in modern-day Turkey). Many stories and legends are told of his life, but the one that is probably most well known is his habit of giving secret gifts to others in need. It is his habit of secret gift-giving that forms the basis for our modern-day celebration of both St. Nick and Santa Claus.
The title of our Living Compass Advent booklet this year is "Practicing Peace with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind." In addition to the reflections being offered in booklet form, we also make them available through daily emails and as an ebook. And this year Living Compass is hosting a very active Facebook group where we have almost seven hundred people from all around the world, sharing their thoughts on the reflections, as well as sharing their ideas on what it means to practice peace in their lives. I am enriched and inspired daily by their insights and lived experiences. (you can learn more at https://www.livingcompass.org/advent-signup
As I reflect on what it means to practice peace in my life, I find myself thinking in a new way of St. Nicholas and his practice of secret gift-giving. I started thinking that while the giving of chocolate coins and other material gifts this time of year can be a joyous experience, there are multiple other beautiful gifts we give to one another as well, gifts that are not material but spiritual. A gift such as peace, for example.
So a few days ago, I thought of a few people in my life with whom I sometimes feel some conflict or stress. They may not sense my tension, but I know it is there, and left unchecked it is something that could, over time, compromise my relationships with them. I thought about ways I could secretly give them the gift of peace. I have now in the last few days, in fact, challenged myself to do so, and it is amazing how my feelings and attitude have already started to change. I have thus discovered that one person who benefits from my offering this gift of peace to others is myself.
Gift-giving is on many of our minds this time of year. However much effort you choose to spend on finding the right material gifts for others, I invite you also to spend an equal amount of energy focusing on the spiritual gifts you can give to others this year. Perhaps there is a friend, family member, neighbor, or colleague to whom you would like to offer the gift of peace or some other spiritual gift.
There are many ways to be generous with one another, many kinds of gifts we can share. Some require money, and others require a change of heart and a change of attitude. Whatever gifts we choose to give this season, whether they be chocolate coins or the gift of peace, may we all draw inspiration from the generosity of a secret gift-giving man named Nicholas.
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