"Lights
please"
When I was growing up my Dad worked for the city of Fort
Worth as a sanitation supervisor. He
went in rain or shine leaving our house at 4:45 am to arrive at his office. Dad’s job was to make sure all the sanitation
routes he was in charge of were picked up and finished along the North Side of
Ft Worth....which back then like today was not the nicest part of town. Dad knew everybody over there no matter their
color or what they had in their wallet. All the people called him “Mr Sam”. My Mom would make all kinds of treats during
Christmas and would always send fudge, divinity and cheese rolls with him to
work. Dad would then hand them out to
the guys in his crews and to people in the neighborhoods. I remember thinking
how cool it was to see my parents do this though they would not make a big deal
out of it.
At our Middle School Ministry Christmas party this year we
watched Charlie Brown Christmas. I love the way Linus tells the story out of Luke chapter
2...“And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And,
lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round
about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a
sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
will toward men....”
You see Christmas isn’t so much the giving of gifts to others;
it is giving away the things we hold most precious. God’s gift to us...His
Son...the One who saved us and changed us....was the most precious thing He
could give. Stuff we give for Christmas won’t last. There is always a new phone
or TV or car coming along. The time we give and the love we show outlasts all
the temporary stuff. Think about this as you finish shopping for the “perfect”
gift.....the thing you hold onto the most may be the very thing God wants you
to give away. Take some time at the nursing home or hospital this holiday
season. Let somebody else have the front parking space. Buy a stranger a meal.
Go out of your way to show someone the real hope of Christmas. “That’s what
Christmas is all about Charlie Brown”
Scripture to Claim:
So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. (Luke 2:16-18)
So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. (Luke 2:16-18)
Submitted By Eric Adcock
