Connecting with true Christmas peace

Originally appeared on spirituality.com

It’s Christmas time again, and the air is thick with commercialism. Each year the Yuletide spirit comes earlier and the demands increase. With the parties to attend, gifts to buy, and family members to entertain, Christmas can feel far from a spiritual time of year.

One particular Christmas I was living in a new city away from friends and family. I had just graduated from college and was working as a teacher. As you can imagine, my financial situation was pretty humble with a modest teaching salary and college loans to repay. Yet, living simply was normal for me. In fact, during college I opted to use the school computers so I could save some money. But now it was time for me to bite the bullet and buy my own.

Unlike most shoppers who were out buying presents on this winter afternoon, I was in search of the perfect computer. A little bit of research had given me a vague idea of what I wanted, but when I reached the store I was completely overwhelmed. Words like gigabyte and RAM meant nothing to me. Should I be buying a refurbished computer or a new one? I was completely confused about the technical and financial aspects of making this important decision.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit