Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

The words on my coffee mug this morning are, “In a World Full of Grinches — Be a Cindy Lou Who!” In “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the beloved tale by Dr. Seuss, the endearing character, Cindy Lou Who, refuses to let the Grinch ruin her love of Christmas.

With the holidays now behind us, we’re in the season of winter. We can settle into the darker days and months with gloomy thoughts or choose to keep the joy of Christmas in our hearts all year long. No matter our age or circumstances, God has blessed us with the ability to encourage one another. Let’s show Christ’s loving kindness through our words and actions! Remember — it takes more facial muscles to frown than to smile!

Clare Hilgendorf
Appleton, WI

Lord, help me to be an example of your love to the “Grinches” of our world. Amen.

Reflect: Recall moments when your words and actions made someone happy!

Read: Mark 6:34 and Proverbs 18:24