Tuesday; December 26

If you gather up all the calendars you have around your house, there is a good chance that at least one of them will make reference to today being Boxing Day.  Now, for those of us who are fans of the television show M*A*S*H* we might recall an episode where the 4077th was introduced to the day and told that, traditionally, on this day the supervisors (in this case, the officers) would trade places with their staff (the enlisted folks).   Some of my British friends might be in a position to correct me on this, but I never really found any substance to this tradition.  So, what is the origin of Boxing Day?  While there doesn’t appear to be a definitive answer on the subject, one thing that seems to be pretty consistent is that it was a day when the “haves” did something nice for the “have-nots”.  It may have involved the rich giving their staff a day off to spend with their families after having served them during the busy holiday season.  It might have even included the wealthy donating a little something extra to their workers after Christmas.  No matter how the tradition began, it appears that it has its roots in  the aristocracy blessing the commoners on this one day of the year.
As I did my research on Boxing Day it got me to thinking about every day in the life of a Christian.  Believers are so blessed because our Superior (the Lord) has given us a gift that we could never afford (salvation).  As mere men we were destined to a life of meager existence, but the graciousness of God and the gift of His Son brings joy into our lives.  The Apostle Paul puts it so eloquently, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Boxing Day is not a holiday in the United States, but maybe it is good day for us to remember the blessings we have been given.  While we are at it, maybe we should keep this concept fresh in our minds every day of the year.
Think About It!

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