With the month of December quickly flying by, it is expected that everyone is getting into the ‘Christmas Spirit.’ Whether that means decorations, music, movies, or eggnog – everyone has something that spells Christmas for them. Or do they? 

The Grinch is a classic movie to watch around the holiday season, and his wild scheme to “steal Christmas” from the Who people makes for a great comedy. In the 2018 version, the Grinch explains that he hated Christmas because of some things in his past, and so he didn’t like the joy that surrounded the holiday. 

Now, I’ve seen this movie about a half-dozen times, but when I was watching it recently, something hit me at the very end. 

Once the Grinch returns all the Christmasy things he took from the town and retreats back to his cave, Cindy-Lou Who invites him to her house for Christmas dinner. Repaying his intended, selfish, evil, with a good deed of kindness. And again, this is nothing new in the movie, but the impact it had on the Grinch, and what he said at the Christmas dinner is what caught my attention this time. The Grinch stands before dinner, addresses the guests, and calls out Cindy-Lou. He tells her mother: “ma’am, your daughter’s kindness saved my life!” Did Cindy-Lou’s kindness physically save the Grinch’s life? No, but emotionally and spiritually it did. 

There are so many people who carry burdens, and around the holidays those burdens become harder than ever to bear. The Grinch had carried the burden of the pains in his past all his life and Cindy-Lou’s simple act of kindness allowed him to see around them. Then what the Grinch says next is what really made me sit up and pay attention. He told the Whos sitting around the table that “it wasn’t Christmas [he] hated, it was being alone.” During the movie it showed what the Grinch’s past looked like, how he was alone for the holidays when it appeared that everyone else had someone, and he allowed it to consume him and drive him away from the Christmas season, and anyone who would associate with him. 

So I challenge you, the reader, to think of how you could help someone not be alone for Christmas, both physically, emotionally, and hopefully even spiritually. Whether that be a family member, a friend, some random person on the street even. A simple ‘hello merry Christmas! Jesus loves you!’ could change someone’s holiday, and maybe even their life. And you can think ‘oh I could never interact with people’ but that’s not true! God gave everyone unique gifts and abilities to be able to spread the Good News of the Gospel. Call to mind the saying “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called!” So again, I challenge you to use your gifts and abilities to “save someone’s life” this Christmas. Give them the best gift they ever could receive: The hope and peace that Jesus offers. 

Merry Christmas! 

Have a wonderful and blessed holiday season as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!