Approaching Christmas with Love - Day 5Lyndall Bywater - 24 Dec 2010

Crazy Love

To say I'm crazy about Christmas would be something of an understatement. I am a serious addict to the season. I start it as early as my long-suffering community house-mates and husband will allow, and I throw myself into it with more passion than Santa Clause himself.

And the thing is, you see, that I don't only love it ... I really live it. I remember one frosty festive evening when the doorbell rang, and I opened it to find a couple of young boys doing what you might, at a push, call carol singing. OK, so it wasn't a carol ('We wish you a merry Christmas does not count as a carol in my book'), and they got the words wrong (good tidings were apparently available to me and my 'king' ... well, there's always Jesus I suppose :)), but they were doing their level best, bless them. Suddenly I was gripped with the crazy and slightly scary urge to astonish them with love and generosity. Dashing to my handbag, I pulled out my purse and extricated a £20 note. (For those of you uninitiated in the art of carol singers, one usually gives them £1 or £2 at most). I thrust my offering into their expectant little palms, and stood back while the moment resounded.

There was silence.

Then there was whispering. I couldn't hear it, but I'm hazarding it went something like: 'Do you think the poor blind lady knows how much money she's given us? Should we tell her?'

And then there was a hasty - and rather too cheery 'Thank you!' And they were gone into the night ... doubtless headed for the nearest alcopop store, and thence onwards to regale their Facebook friends on how spectacularly they'd benefited from the fruits of my disability.

Everyone I tell the story to is horrified. 'You gave them HOW MUCH???!'

But I stand by it. I love the fact that, for one night only, I went a bit crazy because of love. I wanted those kids to know that sometimes life throws you gold, when all you've been expecting is tacky shiny paper. Sometimes life blows you away.

There's too much worrying going on around this world right now, and not enough loving. I've never missed that £20 note. God has always made it up to me, when I've loved more than I could technically afford to love.

Can we go a bit overboard with love this Christmas do you reckon?

As we wait for Christmas, the celebration, the feast and the wonder of an incarnate God 24-7 Prayer will be posting a series of reflections to help us to wait well. We have asked friends from across the movement and around the world to creatively express themselves and focus us on the coming of Christ. During the final week of advent, as the anticipation of the arrival of Jesus builds we are encouraged to wait with Love.  Follow along with the 24-7 Prayer 'Approaching Advent' Calendar.