| Back OpEdNews | |||||||
|
Original Content at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Gifts-of-Inestimable-Value-by-Suzana-Megles-Blind_Caring_Children_Christmas-151226-947.html (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). |
|||||||
December 26, 2015
Gifts of Inestimable Value, A Christmas Story
By Suzana Megles
I think we sometimes lose site of what Christmas is all about. I think it would be nice if we gave gifts to the Christ Child instead of each other. However, it is still not too late to incorporate that mindset this Christmas even though we have already exchanged gifts. This post may give you some ideas in this regard.
::::::::
Were you pleased with the Christmas gifts you received Christmas morning? Did you receive any of inestimable value? If the Infant Christ this season gave you a kind, compassionate heart -- that to me is one of the very best inestimable gifts you can ever receive. The joy of that beautiful necklace or new expensive car will not last, but any kindness or goodness we do on this earth during our life time, whether to our fellow man or to God's animal creatures, is an everlasting gift and one of inestimable value.
And how does the gift of a compassionate heart manifest itself? There are numerous ways but the one which will carry the biggest impact on the environment, your health, and farm animals is changing your diet and becoming a vegan. This gift is probably one of the most precious gifts you can ever give yourself.
The next way is to be generous. You can help those in need whether it is with your money, your time or your gifts. Here is a story of some caring men in Bosnia who gave loving help a blind dog in distress named "Christmas". This "Christmas story" was told by Laura S. on "Care 2". It happened in Bjeljina - 200 km from where Christmas's rescuers lived. Laura S. wrote that ..."In an astounding rescue caught on video, a pair of real-life superheroes bring a dog named Christmas up out of a deep, dark well where he had been trapped for an entire month."
Can you even begin to imagine what it was like for Christmas, who is blind, to spend a very long period of time; 30 very long, lonely, and probably frightening days? Nobody in the environs who heard this poor dog whining tried to help him. Not even the local rescue teams wanted to go down in the well to rescue him. What cold hearts they must have had. The children however would at least occasionally throw Christmas down some food. It seems to me that the oldsters could well learn some lessons of kindness and compassion from the children.
When news of this poor dog's plight came to the attention of veteran rescuer Fahrudin Coki Bravo and his buddy Ratko Koblar, they immediately began preparations for their trip across Bosnia to rescue Christmas. They wondered if the dog had been thrown into the well by some heartless individuals or had he stumbled into the well in his search for food?
Arriving at the well which was about 8 meters deep, they could hardly see the dog. But they could hear him, and they were able to descend into the well with their rescue gear they had brought with them from Sarajevo. Soon a very happy and relieved Christmas was standing on terra firma and embracing Fahrudin. Now, Fahrudin's only concern was to get Christmas a good home. He knew that Christmas deserved the life of a king after everything he had been through.
And Fahrudin's wish came true. Christmas found a wonderful home with some local animal lovers just in time for Christmas!
The picture of Christmas kissing Fahrudin is priceless. And I'm sure of one other thing -- Fahrudin's gift to Christmas was yet another one of those gifts which belongs to the category of INESTIMABLE VALUE.
Authors Bio:
I have been concerned about animal suffering ever since
I received my first puppy Peaches in 1975. She made me take a good look at the animal kingdom and I was shocked to see how badly we treat so many animals. At 77, I've been a vegan for the past 30 years and I thank God every day that I am. I am most disturbed at how little the Catholic Church and Christian churches generally give to concern re animal suffering in their ministry. I wrote to 350 bishops in 2001 and only 10-13 responded. I feel that the very least they can do is to instruct that the priests give one sermon a year on compassion to animals. I am still waiting for that sermon. I also belong to Catholic Concern for Animals - founded in England in 1929. (They are on the internet) I recently sent a sample copy of their bi-monthly publication called the ARK to the 8 Catholic bishops of Ohio. Only ONE kindly responded. Somehow we have to reach the Christian teaching magisterium. There is next to nothing re animal concerns and compassion for them. They basically believe that animals are the lesser of God's creation and that gives us the right to do anything we want to them. Way wrong. We need to change their mindsets. The animals are God's first and He expects us to treat them compassionately.