This morning Sheila and I will individually sing for the children. Sheila will sing the Christmas carol, ‘Away in a Manger’ along with the background of a children’s choir, and I will sing a Christmas song which Walt Disney immortalised in every child’s memory who watched his movies as he brought his own unique form of film magic to the cinema screen, telling children that if they wish upon a star, their dreams will come true. Both renditions are to celebrate the magic of Christmas that the young child experiences. Both Christmas carol and song involve the presence of a special star.
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When you next walk out with a young child on Christmas Eve or tuck them into bed, whether as a parent, grandparent, or another family member, show them the stars in the sky and ask them to pick out the brightest star they see. Then, tell them to close their eyes and imagine a poor child somewhere else in the world who will not get a Christmas present this Christmas morning. Then, ask them to think of a lovely present they would give such a child if they could wave a magic wand.
When they have thought of their present, ask them to look at the star again and wish upon it. Tell them that everyone has a magic wand, should they wish to use it. Their wand is made up of all the love and goodness in their hearts. Their wand is blessed by the purity of their thoughts, the loving gentleness of their feelings, and the generosity of their actions. Tell the child that we all have a magic wand to wave. Tell them that our wands sleep in our hearts, and we should wake our wands up and wave it whenever we think it has overslept and needs to get up and do some more good work. Let the child know that if everyone did this, then every day would be Christmas Day.
If we want our children and grandchildren to grow up as good, caring, honest, and loving adults, we could do far worse than giving them the most meaningful of all Christmas messages that will serve them well when they leave their innocent childhood behind. Tell them that on Christmas Eve, approximately two thousand years ago, a heavenly star showed the world where Jesus had been born. Tell the child that this story and that star has guided the lives of more people since the birth of Jesus than any other story that has ever been told.
Sheila and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Love and Peace Bill xxx