This has been heavy on my heart lately.  My motivation for writing stems from thinking about the interactions school personnel have with students each day.

But the reality is, we all have personal interactions with various people throughout our day and week—interactions that are often far more significant than we realize.

Adults in schools don’t just interact with students; they also have countless connections with other adults in the school setting.  This truth extends far beyond schools to the everyday moments we share with people in all walks of life.

Think about it:

* A quick conversation with the cashier at the grocery store or the young man carrying your bags to the car.
* Your waitress during a date night dinner.
* The ticket taker or the concession stand worker at a basketball game.

These seemingly small moments are everywhere.  Your life is filled with opportunities to interact with a variety of people in a variety of situations.

And here’s the thing:  Every single one of those interactions matters.

It’s important to pause and consider what might be happening in someone else’s life. Too often, we expect people to behave or respond in a way we’ve decided is “appropriate.”  But what if they don’t?
Could it be because they’re carrying a burden we can’t see?

What if:

* A spouse just received a life-altering diagnosis that will require a new normal?
* A student’s parents are going through a divorce?
* A child doesn’t have enough food at home to last the weekend?
* A co-worker is grappling with a parent entering hospice care?
* A student is feeling crushed by a parent’s anger over their playing time in sports?
* A teenager just learned that their first relationship is ending?

So many things happen in people’s lives that we’ll never know about unless we take the time to notice, to care, and to dig deeper.

Scripture calls us to be mindful of this. Galatians 6:2 reminds us:  “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

What a beautiful challenge—to fulfill Christ’s law of love by helping others carry the weight of what they’re going through.

Are we truly tuning in to the people we interact with?  Or are we simply expecting them to manage life and treat us the way we think we deserve to be treated?

Let’s approach all of our interactions with grace and patience.  Be someone’s best hope on a difficult day.  Take the time to care.  Ask a question, offer a kind word, or just show understanding.

Because everyone is carrying something, and sometimes, the smallest act of compassion can make all the difference.

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.

Tradition is defined as a belief, practice, or custom passed down from generation to generation, often within a particular culture or society. It also refers to long-established practices or sets of beliefs followed by a group.

For many, family traditions are an integral part of the Christmas holidays. Growing up, my family had our own cherished traditions that made the season special.

We always attended the Christmas Eve service, enjoyed a chili supper, exchanged gifts, and later, when the grandkids came along, we added a birthday cake for Jesus.

While we have carried on some of these traditions, life changes, and so do traditions. While they are meaningful, they don’t last forever. New traditions may take their place, but ultimately, Christmas isn’t about the traditions.

Christmas is about the gift of Jesus. If our traditions overshadow that truth, we risk focusing on the wrong thing.

Every tradition, every shared moment with family and friends, exists because of Jesus. It has taken me over 60 years to fully grasp this perspective, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

Grateful for Jesus. Grateful for my family. Grateful for the moments made special because of Him. He has always been, and always will be, at the center of it all.

And that grilled ham and cheese I had on Christmas night? It might not become a tradition, but if it does, I’ll be grateful for that too.

From my family to yours:

May the Jesus we celebrate at Christmas bless and keep you every day. His promise surpasses any tradition the season can bring.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)

Hold fast – “To remain firmly committed or steadfast to a belief, principle, or position.

To persist in the face of difficulty or adversity.

To hold on tightly to something, either physically or metaphorically.”

It’s hard to “hold fast”.  We live in a world of distractions, often times choosing to live in that world of distraction.  

Other times the distractions just seem to find us and those distractions make life difficult.   Either way, we need to make the critical decision to hold fast to what is good and what is Godly.  At all times.  In all situations.  

Daniel held fast (Daniel 6).

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego held fast (Daniel 3).

Job held fast (Job 1-42).

Paul and Silas held fast (Acts 16:16-40). 

Their stories are real and so is yours.  In the middle of your story hearing the stories from the Bible seem so far away.  But their story was real, just almost unimaginable.  They never imagined their story would unfold like it did.  They held fast in some extreme circumstances and so can you.  

You never imagined your story unfolding like it may have either, but here you are in the middle of it.  

You may not be thrown in a den of lions or in a fiery furnace, but here’s the great equalizer between your story and those unimaginable stories in the Bible where God served as a rescuer.  

The same God who delivered them will deliver you.  Your job is to do like they did.  Hold fast.  Remove distractions from your life that you have control over.  Those distractions that you do cannot control ‘hold fast to what is good’.  

Find peace and rest in the same God who rescued Daniel, Job and countless others throughout history.  He rescued them, and He will rescue you.  

Hold fast.  Others did.  So can you.  

Life is often challenging, but even in the hardest times, remember:  God is present.

Keep your heart and eyes open for hope, not just to find it but to share it generously with others.

Whether it’s a kind word, your time, or a helping hand, give freely without expecting anything in return. What you offer—hope, resources, love—can change someone’s life.

And in giving, you’ll find profound fulfillment, as it truly is better to give than to receive.  So today, take a step toward selflessness.

Be a source of hope and light for those around you.  The world needs it.  Your world needs it.

God is our Hope, shaping the future brighter than the past or present.

When despair looms, as it did for Elijah, God doesn’t shout, He whispers.

In the quiet, beyond the chaos, a gentle voice calls your name. 

But to hear it, you must listen.