Plan to attend Christmas worship services
wherever you might be this Sunday morning. Plan to give generously, for the
Lord has given us His Son. Plan to visit someone, for it is the season of
visitation, the season of giving, the season of celebration, the season of
songs, the season of jubilation. Christmas is full of joy and holy fun.
Younger children think about all of the fun things they'll get. Older children
tend to think about all of the fun times they've had. Christmas is a time for
memories: looking back with signs of joy and some longing, and looking ahead to
all of the precious moments to be made. It's always the right time to pause
with Mary, focus heart and mind and soul on Jesus as the reason for the season,
and softly sing as we pray, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior."
When I
think of Christmas I think of celebrating my early Christmases in the rustic
village in Orissa , India where I lived with my family. We each received just
a set of new clothing for Christmas, and feasted on special Christmas cakes and
special Christmas rooster. It was very simple, unadulterated yet profound, and
very sacred. I remember playing soccer after morning worship and Christmas
dinner with my family, a dinner that was shared with all the Hindu neighbors who
came uninvited. We could play soccer all afternoon, and the temperature was in
the 80s and sunny.
My wife was born and
raised in New York. For her snow was part of the ideal Christmas day. She
prays for snow on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day and for her birthday on the
11th of January. After living for 40 years in the region I have grown to
appreciate snow. Every time it snows, I feel good, even if
it's just a flurry or two. Snow reminds me of God's grace. When it snows, all
of the potholes and ditches and dirt and garbage and scars of the world are
covered. That reminds me of how God's grace through faith in Jesus covers all
of the potholes and ditches and dirt and garbage and scars of our lives. Of
course, the snow melts and gets dirty and all of the potholes and ditches and
garbage and scars are exposed again. But then it snows and covers them all over
again. That's why Christmas snow reminds me of Jesus' love, grace, and
forgiveness that cover us again and again and again.
When I think about Christmas I was
reminded of a funny story of Walter and Milton the cockroach. When Walter started working for the largest
corporation in the world, the personnel director said he would have to start at
the bottom and work his way up. So Walter found himself in the basement of the
corporation's headquarters building in the mailroom. Walter liked his job, but
often daydreamed about what it would be like to be a junior executive, vice
president, president, or even chairman of the board. One
day, as Walter was busy collating the mail, he heard tiny footsteps in the
corner and noticed a small cockroach creeping around. Just as he was about to
step on it, he heard a small voice scream: "Don't kill me! Please, don't kill
me! I'm Milton the cockroach. And if you spare my life, I promise to grant all
of your wishes." That sounded like a pretty good deal to Walter. So he spared
Milton the cockroach's life.
Walter's first wish was to get out of
the mailroom and be a junior executive. Milton granted that wish. Next Walter
wanted to become one of the vice presidents of the corporation. That wish was
granted too. As a matter of fairy tale fact, Milton the cockroach kept granting
every one of Walter's wishes until Walter was finally elevated to be chairman of
the board, on the top floor of the headquarters building, of the largest
corporation in the world. Now everybody looked up to Walter
and he was very happy. Ever so often, Milton the cockroach could hear Walter
saying to himself: "I am Walter. Everybody respects me. Everybody knows I'm in
control. I'm at the top. No one is bigger or better or more important than
me."
One day as Walter was sitting behind
his desk and daydreaming about how important he had become, he heard footsteps
on the top of the roof. When the sound of the footsteps suddenly stopped,
Walter decided to investigate. What he found was a little boy who was on his
knees praying. By this time, as you can imagine, Walter had
become quite impressed with himself and his position as chairman of the board of
the largest corporation in the world. So he asked the boy, "Are you praying to
Walter?" "Of course not," said the little boy with a smile of innocence. "I'm
praying to God!" Walter responded, "Why are you praying to God? I'm chairman
of the board of the largest corporation in the world. What can God do for you
that I cannot do for you?" The little boy replied, "God made me and God saved
me."
Walter didn't know what to say. Very
disturbed by this turn of events, he sent for Milton the cockroach as soon as he
got back to his office on the top floor of the headquarters building of the
largest corporation in the world. "I want to be like God," Walter told Milton.
So Milton the cockroach granted Walter's wish and Walter went back to the
mailroom in the basement.
That's what Christmas is all about. God
works out His serving ministry in the mailrooms of life. God comes down to our
level to show us how to move up in life and eternity. It's a gift. The Babe of
Bethlehem. Jesus, our Lord and Savior. He makes us want to sing softly as we
pray with Mary, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior."
All of the
fun things and fun times of Christmas remind us that the greatest gift of God
Himself was Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That's why we've got all we want for
Christmas through Him.
In Christ,
Brown
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