Tomorrow is the most “givingest” day of the year and at 64, I am learning that I don’t know the first thing about giving. And on top of that, I am asking you to give to me. Oh I know intellectual things about giving. I know spiritual things about giving. I could probably teach a seminar about what the Bible says about giving, and it would be a good one, but what I am saying is that bottom line, I am not a giving person. I so much want to be one.
There is a certain curse with writing a lot. You begin to think you know what you are writing about. After all, if you can write about it you must be an expert. Well I can write about lots of things about which I am barely learning in life.
I am barely learning how to love. I am barely learning how to give. I am barely learning how to understand. I am barely learning how to be a father and a husband. God forbid that I would have to teach how to actually do this. I think these things happen as you get older. The older you are, the less you know. It’s an inverse proportion.
I find that I like this, however. It’s more important that I live than I try and make life work. Live it; experience it; take it in; give it out. My how we love to complicate things. And what I offer you is the Holy Spirit at work in the middle of all of this. My writing is a report of the workings of God in and through a fallible person.
This is why I am thankful for all of you. You let me work it out in front of you. You accept me not as an expert but as one who lives out loud – at least that is how feel when I write to you. I’m just living out loud.
And now I am writing you somewhat randomly from my heart. If you sense some holes that’s because there are quite a few, but the biggest one I am feeling right now is a family that is looking to me for Christmas.
I need your help right now. I need your vote of confidence that what we are doing here is making a difference. I need you to give as I learn how to. If I have blessed you in some way though the Catch, I need your blessing today. Thank you to those who have given already in this campaign and thank you in advance to those who have yet to give.
May you have joy and rich memories this day and tomorrow. May your Christmas be bright. God bless us every one.
John
Christmas Eve, 2011
John Fischer The Catch 
Having arrived at the age of 76, I wholly agree with your assessment of living life. With each answer to questions I ask, I find out that I have only come up with more questions! The exciting part of that is the realization that throughout eternity we will go on learning. For a person who does not find that exciting, they have my utmost sympathy but I look forward to the learning opportunity. I want to grasp every new culture, creature, color, breath and see what can be experienced in the process. People, places and things are all part of the ongoing revelation of the creativity of God that will never be exhausted. God’s creativity is full of wonder and humor ( just look in a mirror if you want to get a grasp of His humor). We are beautifully and wonderfully made, but every one of our ‘quirks’ if part of His design. To live to our fullest is to learn what He has done in the entire universe. Each of us has our own ‘universe’ to experience and He wants to reveal Himself in the details.
God bless you and your family, John.
James is one of my favorite books of the New Testament because he offers us practical Christianity. That is the reason I enjoy your devotions so much – practical Christianity in today’s world. I always learn something from your writings (and Marti’s). Thank you.