{"id":29424,"date":"2020-12-26T03:30:07","date_gmt":"2020-12-26T11:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=29424"},"modified":"2020-12-21T13:26:18","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T21:26:18","slug":"december-26-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2020\/12\/26\/december-26-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"December 26, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Psalm 119:32<\/p>\n

A Heart Too Small<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It happened several years ago in December. Christmas was a few weeks away AGAIN! For some reason, I have always dreaded the Christmas season, even after becoming a Christian.<\/p>\n

Anyway, this particular evening my husband and I were planning to have his adult daughter (my step-daughter) over for the evening to visit and to watch one of her favorite childhood TV programs together, How the Grinch Stole Christmas*<\/em>\u00a0(the first animated version). I had no idea what it was about, but I was ready to tolerate the time together.<\/p>\n

So with my \u201cBah, humbug\u201d attitude we turned the TV on at the appropriate time and the cute little movie began. As I sat there on the couch, my mind was having its own \u201cmovie\u201d as I thought, \u201cOh, it must be so nice to have a sweet little childhood memory with her Dad. If I would have had a loving father, maybe I would be as smart and cute as her.\u201d Resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and self-pity were the main players in my cast of characters!<\/p>\n

Soon it got to the part when the narrator was questioning why the Grinch hated Christmas and all the joyful sounds coming from the valley below. Suddenly, I heard loud and clear:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe Grinch hated Christmas!<\/p>\n

The whole Christmas season!<\/p>\n

Now, please don\u2019t ask why.<\/p>\n

No one quite knows the reason.<\/p>\n

It could be his head wasn\u2019t screwed on just right.<\/p>\n

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.<\/p>\n

But I think that the most likely reason of all,<\/p>\n

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That just stopped me in my tracks! I don\u2019t remember anything else about the story that night. I just sat there thinking (and being convicted by the Holy Spirit) that my problem was my own heart! I made the decision then and there to allow the Lord to do something about it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure why I still struggle with the holidays a little, but the Lord has truly enlarged my heart regarding my relationship with \u201cour\u201d daughter. We love each other very much, which is such a blessing to both of us, her dad, and my heavenly Father!<\/p>\n

We have since bought the DVD and it has become one of my<\/em> favorite Christmas stories!<\/p>\n

Father, thank You for knowing what we need to hear and when we need to hear it, taking pains to break into a small, hard heart so You can expand it to love. I know You\u2019re not finished with me. Keep me hearing and responding to Your faithful love. In Jesus\u2019 name, amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

*Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas<\/em>. 1966. (Video)\u00a0United States: Chuck Jones<\/h6>\n<\/div>
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