Today’s Guest Blogger Is Roma Maitlall
Many Decembers ago, while rummaging through the closet for Christmas tree ornaments, I was delighted to discover an old notebook full of blank, gold-trimmed pages.
Ever the writer, I quickly grabbed the nearest pen and began to scrawl in what would become a letter addressed to my future self, asking how the new year had gone and if my dreams for it had come true.
After sloppily signing my name and penning a humorous postscript message, I tore out the page, folded the letter and slipped it into my family’s Christmas tree storage box. Decorating the tree then went on, business as usual.
Twelve months later, having forgotten the previous year’s experiment, I was surprised to see my letter flutter to the ground as my dad lifted our tree out of its box. Full of anticipation, I read it aloud to my family, who encouraged me to write back.
So began a beloved family tradition that continues to this day. At the end of each year, before putting up our tree, I open my previous year’s letter, read it aloud to my family and then pen a reply to be placed back into the tree box. Every December, I am eager to read of my past self’s reflection on her year and what her hopes were for the next one. Almost always, I am thrilled to report that that most of her dreams (if not all!) have come true.
This year, as I tucked my latest letter into that old, beat-up box, it dawned on me that this end-of-year tradition—a tradition that I had started on a whim as a 13-year-old girl—has become a precious time for me to pause and reflect on the faithfulness of God and His enduring presence in my life. As I’ve come to realize, my family weren’t the only ones listening to me read my letters over the years—the Lord was always there too, lovingly heeding all my prayers, hopes and dreams.
I hope that as you prepare for this year’s Christmas festivities, you too will be able to find a quiet moment amidst the excitement and chaos to recognize the steadfast goodness and grace of Jesus. May this Christmas, and every Christmas after, remind you that our God is Emmanuel, the One who is always with us.
