From Matthew West’s book Give This Christmas Away
Everybody’s got ‘em. I’m sure if I asked you, you could quickly rattle off the name of a relative who tends to outstay his or her welcome over the holidays. The movie Elf nails one of the classic depictions of dysfunctional family visits during the holidays. The main character, Buddy, was raised as an elf at the North Pole—a six-foot-tall elf dressed in green with bright yellow tights. He is searching for his real family in New York City, and when he finds them, well, let’s just say that the family isn’t quite as thrilled as he is. Buddy has nothing but love for his new family, and he means well. So do your relatives.
Go out of your way to show love to a particular relative whom you have a hard time getting along with. Chances are, they will respond in a positive way. And pray for an extra dose of patience when dealing with our family this Christmas. Just hope they don’t show up at your house in yellow tights.
Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2