Holiday message of hope and optimism

Between the one-hundred-year old house where we were staying during our Christmas holidays, and the one hundred year old church where I was to speak, was a distance of only six blocks. But on this Sunday morning after Christmas my family noted that the passage was much more difficult compared to the free swinging passage of our brisk summer walks.

A heavy snow storm during the night had covered the ground and our three children threw snowballs as we made our way to the small community church. The pastor had been called away from the pulpit due to illness, leaving a request for me to fill in for her with a message of my choosing. Her dedication to this flock, along with a superlative style of delivery, made my task a real challenge.

It was to be a morning my family would remember. We always felt very welcome as visitors of this church, but our more active participation on this Sunday made things seem special. The congregation was made up mainly of "locals" from this small Colorado town. Cooks, ski instructors, ranchers and college professors were all drawn together by a common belief and desire to share their faith. No coats or ties, no "Sunday School" dresses, and definitely no low top shoes on this very cold day. In fact, no one removed a coat, scarf or hat during the service, for the heating system was inadequate for the vaulted ceilings and red stone walls of this very old structure. Consequently, the attire of those present seemed appropriate and in line with the demands of the day.

My message to this diverse group dealt with hope and optimism. The economy was booming in Colorado, as in most of the nation at that time, so I was not speaking to economically deprived individuals in the midst of a recession as they are now. Nevertheless, they all seemed interested and several expressed thoughts after the service that they might someday need my words of wisdom.

Many years have passed. Some of the group have stayed and continue to bind together in this close knit community. Christmas notes bring us up to date. A few have gone to meet their maker. One of my best friends from that tiny congregation has moved to the western slope of the Rocky Mountains to start a Christmas tree farm. We learned that the Victorian house where we spent many vacations, summer and winter, is still standing and has increased in value, now worth more than the entire amount of a whole block of homes in the city where I presently reside.

The message of hope and optimism that I presented may bear repeating.


Believe--and commit yourself to something that will strengthen you when your best efforts fail to produce the results that you need.
Develop relationships that provide the love and support when a strong shoulder is needed to lean on.
Become a survivor in thought and deed and never let anything or anyone dissuade you from believing that tomorrow always provides another chance to change things and move ahead toward a new beginning.

Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Copyright c 1992 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.