A CHRISTMAS CAROL - STAVE 5

Sarah
Sep 30
2 min read

And so Scrooge wakes up in his own bed and has a chance to live a different life. He doesn't know how much time has been lost, what day it is, anything. It doesn't matter. He is alive and has a chance to redeem his life.

Let's pause a moment and take care of some literary business before we dive completely into the meaning of this last stave. Did you note the similes in the chapter - "light as a feather," "happy as an angel," " merry as a school boy," " giddy as a drunken man." The onomatopoeia. Clash! Clang! Ding! Dong! and so on. Foreshadowing - "no fog. No mist." The darkness is gone.

We end the book with a reverse of our first chapter. The boy comes first. I don't know for sure that it was the same boy, but I'm going to do a "Sarah Guess" that it was. Scrooge engages the "delightful boy's" help in securing a huge turkey for the Cratchit family. Then Scrooge dresses himself in his finest and goes out. He runs into one of the gentlemen that attempted to collect money for the poor. He generously donates to those in need. Then it's off to his nephew's home where he spends a delightful Christmas day.

And what of Bob Cratchit and his family? Why Scrooge raises his wages and makes his working conditions better. He becomes a benefactor to Tiny Tim who lives!

And Scrooge was said to have kept Christmas well from them on.

So what does it mean to keep "Christmas well?" Is the "spirit" of Christmas something that should be kept only during a certain time of the year? I am reminded in the scriptures of how the Israelites were commanded to place memorial stones to remember times that God fulfilled His promises. Christmas is a time that should help us remember how our attitude should be year round. A remembrance of the Christ child and what He came to do, a remembrance of generosity and kindness to others, a remembrance of joy in the bleak, cold winter.

So what do I think the Christmas Carol ultimately speaks to us? Three words - REDEMPTION, HOPE, and CARE. If you have breath in your body, you have a chance of REDEEMING your life no matter what your past is. You have a HOPE for a different present and future than the one you are currently living if changes need to be made. This is possible only through the gift that Christ gave us by dying in our place. Oh, Joy! Oh, Happy Day! The third word, CARE, is what we need to do for our fellow man. We are all journeying together in this life. We all know people who have needs around us whether it's in monetary form, companionship, or ultimately being a light that points them to Christ. Stop a moment and CARE about your fellow man with the love of Christ this Christmas and New Year. Blessings to you all, and a VERY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!