He was green and ugly looking, and he terrified my heart. With my elbows anchored in the carpet near the television (I was the designated remote control), and my face resting in my hands, I watched in terror as the Grinch plotted his crime of vengeance, then crept into each house in Whoville to steal Christmas.
When Christmas morning dawned in Whoville, my mind was aligned with the Grinch’s, and I thought . . .
“They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry boo-hoo!”
Preparing to cry with all the Whos, a lump rose in my throat and I blinked hard.
Instead, they came from their houses, joined hands, and sang! Crazy!
♫ Christmas Day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp ♪
“He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes, or bags!”
And, as you know, the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day!
We all have a Grinch in our lives trying to purloin (a great word that means “steal”) our joy. But if the source of our joy is rooted deep in our hearts, there no thief stealthy enough destroy it. True joy does not come with ribbons, dollar signs, awards, houses, or prestige; it is found in loved ones, integrity, and a heart that belongs to God.
Miraculously, there will be some Grinches whose hearts grow three sizes when they witness the true joy in your life during troubled times.
The hope of the righteous brings joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
~Proverbs 10:28
Source: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
