10 of those

Poem inspired by Roger's tract;

"Are you ready for Christmas?" she asks me/as I stand in the queue by her till./I am sure what she said was meant kindly,/so I smile as she gives me the bill.//"As ready as ever", I tell her,/knowing Christ has his home in my heart,/and I give her a leaflet about why he came,/which I urge her to read, as we part.//For people 'get ready' in all sorts of ways;/there's the tree and the tinsel and more,/there's the turkey, the sprouts and the stuffing,/and the wreath to be nailed to the door;//there's the lights and the crackers and stockings,/and a difficult line-up of guests,/and mince pies, and the pudding, the log and the cake,/but surely they're missing the best?//If this time of the year has a meaning,/then that's more important than all:/The Lord sent his Son to this world as the Saviour;/that babe who was laid in the stall!//The King of the Universe made himself man,/lived a perfect life instead of me,/and at 33 years, he then went to his death,/and was punished, so I could go free.//How does this relate to what goes on around us/supposedly all in his name?/If I live my life with no thought for my soul,/I am playing one long Christmas game.//I'm filling my life with the gifts he has given,/but I never give him thanks or praise;/of course I assume he'll let me into heaven/even though I've ignored him for years.//How can we be ready for Christmas,/if all that we see is the stuff/that the world tries to fill every mind and each heart with,/but saying 'it's never enough'?//We don't need more presents, more food or more fun/we've too much of that all the year./It's forgiveness and cleansing I need most of all,/through the cross of my Saviour, so dear.

Colette Harding