December 13th, 2007
The Most Memorable Gift
“Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”
Colossians 1:22
First, just a note for all of you who pray for me on Thursdays as I travel to Rochester for class. No, I did not go tonight! I planned on going. In fact, I even started out. However, when it took me double the time to get to Bainbridge I decided that if it were to take me double the time all the way there, I would miss class anyway! The other factors which made me turn around were: the 7 cars in ditches I saw between here and Bainbridge, and I received a call from one of my classmates who lives in Syracuse seeing if I was going to class. When I told him I was on my way, but was thinking about turning around, he assured me that Syracuse weather was just as bad. So, we both decided not to go. I was able to email my paper, I talked with both of my professors and they understood, and I emailed another classmate who usually records the lectures, so I am hoping to get a CD of those. So, thank you for your prayers!
Back to a Christmas thought…
Last Saturday night we were sitting at my parents’ house talking with my brother Brian and his wife Jen. Jen asked what our most memorable Christmas was. Generally, I don’t do well with those types of questions because my memory is so bad, but I came up with one to share. So, after Tim, Jen and Mom shared. Brian began. Do you know what? He had chosen the exact Christmas memory that I had chosen. That made me try to figure out what was so special about that Christmas. Let me explain…
Growing up we often did not celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 because of Dad’s on-call schedule. So, one “Christmas” morning when I was in high school I went out to help my brother Dan with his paper route so we could finish early and get back for the celebrations. As we came back, we shockingly noticed a Volkswagon Van sitting in our front yard. Dad had driven it right up to the window so it would be “under” the Christmas tree. He had also put a large red bow and big sign declaring “Merry Christmas” on the front. Why did both Brian and I pick that Christmas as one of the most memorable ones of our childhood?
It had nothing to do with greed. The present wasn’t from or for us. Dad bought the van for mom. I think it was because of the extravagance and creativity of the gift and presentation. We got presents growing up, but a car? Seriously? That was beyond anything we could imagine. And Dad had put thought and love into his presentation of the gift. To us it seemed an amazing gift of love since he didn’t just give her keys but thought of its placement and even decoration.
Obviously that brought me to thinking about God’s extravagance and creativity of his Christmas present for us. We could not ask for anything more extravagant than salvation. We could not imagine anything more wonderful than a gift that makes us pure and holy before our maker. And the creativity? Only God would think of sending this gift in the body of a beautiful baby.
Extravagant and Creative. What a wonderful God we serve!