Christmas is for losers CAUTION *religious*

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TG123

Well-Known Member
#1
For many people posting on this forum and many other parts of the world, one of the hardest seasons in the year is approaching.

As people celebrate Christmas, many are blessed with loving families, good friends, comfort and joy. Good for them.

For many others, this is a horrible and painful time. It is a period of hostility and yelling and icy silence as clashes erupt between family members. It is a time of loneliness for those who have no one close to them, for those who people choose to leave out, choose to ignore, choose to alienate. For millions around the world living in the midst of the oppression of poverty and war, Christmas like most other days is a time of hunger, pain, suffering and death.

I think it is worth taking a while to reflect about what the first Christmas was like. It was not the happiest time for many people. It was difficult and painful and dangerous. And I won't even go into looking at the obvious differences between the coming of Jesus and this whole consumerist and materialist mantra that is put on by the market.

When Mary conceived, Joseph at first was heartbroken and angry and wanted to divorce. One can imagine the quarrels that took place in that house before he learned the truth about God's plan. As soon as word spread that the baby would be born, people in power immediately wanted them dead. Joseph and Mary spent the days leading up to Christmas fleeing and looking for shelter from the forces of authority which was attempting to murder their son. They were turned away in many places. Finally, they found a stable. In the cold and dark night, as a refugee and without a home, Mary gave birth to Jesus.
The Son of God came to the world among refugees and outcasts, people without many friends and very powerful enemies who had no home.

He was brought to the world by people whom others turned away and rejected, people whom many wanted dead, people who at times even did not want each other. And as He traveled and revealed the Kingdom of God, it was the outcasts and 'the rejects' and 'the losers' who came to Him. People who felt terrible about themselves and had no one to turn to, people whom society had already written off. People who were hungry, thirsty, homeless, persecuted.
Most of those who rejected and persecuted and finally ended up murdering Him had 'everything'- status, respect, leadership, property, and a hypocritical and 'holier than thou' attitude rooted in a distorted and falsified view of God that had nothing to do with the Truth.

The 'rejects' and 'losers' ended up accepting Him and spreading His glory and being saved in Him, being guaranteed everlasting life. The self-righteous crucified Him and later also killed His apostles. They threw away their salvation because of their privilege on earth.

I am a loser. I do not have many friends, and some people I was very close to have decided they do not want anything to do with me anymore. When I accepted Jesus, it was after many years of having no one to turn to.

This Christmas will not be the hardest one I have had, because our family situation is better than it used to be although it hasn't always been that way. But I will feel very lonely and sad because I don't have many friends and some very close people who I thought I would spend some of this time with will not be there. I know I will be seeing some of my friends once but that seems to be about it. This is nothing in comparison to other Christmases I have went through and to what others have went through and will be going through.

I do take comfort in the knowledge that my Saviour also felt cold and rejected and hated. I take comfort in the fact that He accepted the rejects and the losers and the guilt-racked and the suffering. I take comfort in the knowledge that He lived and died for losers and screw-ups like myself.

Jesus loves us, regardless of what others may say about us or what we may even think of ourselves. He came down to earth and was born in a cold and smelly stable in dreadful poverty so that He could live among people like us and show us the Truth and die for our sins so that by turning to Him we could be saved.


During this Christmas, I pray that Christ brings comfort and healing to those of us who are suffering from depression, loneliness, anger, loss of loved ones, rejection; to those of us who hate being alive and feel that it is not worth it anymore, to those of us who are thinking about suicide and those who have already tried. He loves you and cares about you. He is ready to stand beside you and help you carry your burdens. He is willing to accept you for who you are, and is willing to allow you to serve Him. And when He takes your life from you, He will take you to a place where you will never feel pain or rejection or loneliness or anger or depression again.

Have a Merry Christmas, and may God bless you.

Cristo Vive!
- Tomasz
 

Terry

Antiquities Friend
Staff Alumni
#2
For anyone alone this Christmas..help out at your local homeless shelter, serving the Christmas dinner. Did that one year and was one of the best Christmases ever.
 

theleastofthese

SF Friend
Staff Alumni
#5
Dear pNs;

Is there an animal shelter in your area? Bring some dog and cat treats for the homeless animals, if you can. They too are homeless thru no fault of their own and welcome any love they get.

That is also "doing unto the least of these", as God made all living beings and loves them all.

I live a few blocks away from a dog that is ALWAYS chained up or in a small kennel outside. I bring her some chewbones and dog treats this time of year - have to do that today yet - and it makes me feel a bit better knowing that she has something to do, to chew on, all alone out there in the back yard.:sad:

I also feed and shelter all the stray cats in my neighborhood - do it year round, and it does my soul good to see them sleeping in my straw-and-catnip-filled window wells and other shelters I made for them. I feed them every evening and take comfort in knowing they're not hungry or cold.:smile:

love to you all,:smile:

least
 
P

ProzacDeathWish

#6
theleastofthese stated:
"I also feed and shelter all the stray cats in my neighborhood - do it year round, and it does my soul good to see them sleeping in my straw-and-catnip-filled window wells and other shelters I made for them. I feed them every evening and take comfort in knowing they're not hungry or cold.:smile:"

Your situation is very similar to mine. I live in a college neighborhood where my student neighbors come and go. It seems that too many of these "future leaders of America" are nothing more than sociopaths when it comes to owning animals responsibly. At any rate, I end up caring for their discared animals, mostly cats. OMG, speaking as a blue-collar wage earner ( I'm poor :twocents: ) I can't imagine how much money I have spent on spaying and neutering, not to mention the food !!

I have lived at my current residence since 1991 and I couldn't begin to tell you how many cats that I have cared for. I can't even remember all of their names anymore. What's sort of funny is when I buy bags of catfood at the big pet supplies franchise, the cashiers always ask "so, how many cats do you have ?" My response is always the same :
"that depends on who shows up!" :cat: :cat: :cat: :cat: :cat: :cat: :cat::cat:
 
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Terry

Antiquities Friend
Staff Alumni
#7
Least, don balaclava, black jumper and trousers and in the dead of night get over the fence to that dog and have it away.
My neighbour and I did this with a dog left in the same sorry state, we then passed her down a chain of friends so that the person who had originally owned her wouldn't know where she was.
She had claws so long that she couldn't walk..quick trip to the vets solved that, but we worried her spirit was broken.
However, after a year in a loving home she became the dog she was meant to be and is a happy, healthy and yay naughty dog:smile:

ps: if anyone saw us that night I bet we looked hysterical :laugh:
 

theleastofthese

SF Friend
Staff Alumni
#8
Dev;

I haven't the support network that would enable me to do that - besides she barks at anything. I'd be caught and there'd be no sympathy for me as the dog is not abused, just ignored for the most part. THey said she got to come inside when it got "too cold" out, and I think that's correct, but I just can't take her as I've nowhere else to bring her. Our local Humane Society has successfully prosecuted some abuse cases, but for the most part the judge just gives the animal back with a warning... a slap on the wrist. So I go and bring her treats - they know why, even if they don't act like it, cause they have a little dog that lives in the house and I never bring treats for the house dog, only the one outside.

Love your idea tho, and will not discard it as it may become necessary in this, or another case, to do so.:rolleyes:

love and hugs from me and my many 'critters',

least

PS; what happened to your cat picture?? That cat looks like my daughter's cat.

never mind, it's back


didn't mean to hijack this thread but they're God's creations too, and to help animals makes me feel a better person.
 
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Terry

Antiquities Friend
Staff Alumni
#9
It does Least, it does and to Prozac..loved the bit about "that depends on how many show up" ..Brilliant:biggrin:
 
R

reborn1961

#10
Christmas is not about me, its about others. I find that helping at the Salvation Army helps me to care about others and forget my issues if only for a little while. Christmas is different for each of us. No one should be belittled for beliving nor should any be belittled for not beliving. What ever helps you get through each day of the year is good.
 

poison

Well-Known Member
#11
I agree with you, yet I disagree. I'm not a believer in the Bible, and I think that those events with Jesus, Mary, Joseph, etc. were mere fantasy. But those are my beliefs and you don't have to believe them. I think Christmas is about spending time with SOMEONE you love; it's about being a good person to all, no matter how much they don't deserve it. Christmas is a time to share yourself with everybody, and send out love. I know not everyone has a family, and I know that some who do have a family, don't have a loving one, but like I said earlier... find SOMEONE you love; because to me, Christmas has nothing to do with the bible, or presents, or Santa, or anything like that... it's just the emotion and joy and sharing of love.
 
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