Jerry's Christmas

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You

will find a baby wrapped in clothes

and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

 

 

I’ll never forget that precious little boy: freckles scattered like tiny raindrops across his entire face, including his ears. Big brown eyes partially obscured by long, wispy blonde hair that brushed against an ever present smile minus two front teeth.

 

Jerry was a first grade student at the elementary school where I worked. He came from a home that was short on money but long on love. His clothes were always someone else’s property first, but he never seemed to care.

 

And this Christmas season was no different.

 

As a mother of three, I was frantically trying to balance home, husband, kids and job while I shopped endlessly for the perfect “only thing I want” gifts for my family. Somewhere in the rush of the season my focus shifted from the birth of a baby in a manger to the number of presents under our Christmas tree.

 

There was some success but at a price . . . a high price. My Christmas budget was shrinking rapidly. “Why couldn’t my children want something a little cheaper?” I kept thinking. “Why do they think they have to have every thing they see on television?”

 

Those questions were occupying my thoughts as I walked down the first grade hall and saw Jerry skipping toward me in his winter coat that was about three sizes too large and worn tennis shoes minus the laces.

 

“Hey, Jerry! How are you?” I asked. “I’m good, Miss Nancy. It’s almost Christmas . . . Jesus’ birthday . . . did you know?” I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. “Yes, I have heard that. So what do you want for Christmas, Jerry?”

 

He quickly replied “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. It’s the same every year.”

 

At this point I would have expected a child making that statement to duck his head in disappointment and go on, but not Jerry.

 

As I knelt down to hug and encourage him, Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and, with a huge smile, continued: “When I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be a BIG candy cane under my pillow!” as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I’ll get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”

 

As I hugged Jerry and watched him skip on to class, I could not hold back the tears of sadness – not for Jerry but for my attitude. Instead of focusing on Christ and His birth, I had gotten caught up in the world’s view that the number of gifts you have under the Christmas tree determines your happiness.

 

Christmas at our home would never be the same again. All because of a candy cane under a pillow, a Matchbox car under a tree . . . and a very thankful little boy named Jerry.

 

 

Father, thank you for the most priceless gift of love you could ever send – the gift of your Son.  May we never forget that He went from a manger to the cross for us.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Do you find yourself focused more on gifts than the Giver of Life at Christmas?

 

• Have you talked with your children about the Ultimate Gift that Jesus gave each of us?

 

Apply

• Sit down with your children and help them write on slips of paper the gifts that they can give Jesus this Christmas, like trusting Him, being obedient, and sharing Him with friends.

 

• Have them wrap each of their gifts for Jesus in a box and offer each one to Him on Christmas morning in prayer.

 

Power

• Luke 2:11-12 (NIV) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” 

 

• Romans 6:23 (NIV) “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

• 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

 

• John 1:14 a (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

 

• Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV) “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

 

 

For Future Generations

 

“O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth….We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord; his power and the wonders he has done…so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.”

Psalm 78:1, 4, 6 (NIV)

 

John Atkinson, my granddad, passed away September 7, 1979. I remember exactly where I was standing when I got the phone call and the instant sadness that filled my heart. He was a man of integrity and honor, laughter and love and a huge part of my life.

I remember hugging him and loving the scent of moth balls and Old Spice as he wrapped his arms around me and my siblings and asked “Well, fellers, how are you doing?” His home was never without a candy bowl in the living room full of white mints with a soft green jelly in the center.

 

Grandmother would only let us have one mint but Granddad always sneaked more to us when she wasn’t looking. He became my hero and I became his biggest fan for life when he defended my refusal to try oyster soup. I gagged at the thought of eating it and he gagged at me gagging.

 

But one of the things I remember most was his love of the Bible. One particular conversation has stayed with me all these years. We were talking about reading the Scriptures and I mentioned that it was hard for me to get interested in them. “Too many thee’s and thou’s,” I told him. “Is reading the Bible really that important?”

 

He reached over and picked up his well-worn leather Bible on the table by his chair. “I’ve read it completely through three times so far,” he quietly commented “and I find something new and fresh every time. Our hope for tomorrow is in this book, Nancy. Never forget that.”

 

“Never forget that.” I didn’t . . . all because my granddad took the time to share story after story from the Word and then explain how it related to me. Jonah and the whale taught me about obedience. David and Goliath gave me courage. An empty tomb gave a little girl a big hope in her Savior.

 

What happens when we do not share God’s Word with our children and grandchildren? We are told in Judges 2:19 that after Joshua and his generation had died, another generation grew up who did not know the Lord or what He had done for Israel.

 

 Could it be that Joshua’s generation, though they loved the Lord, neglected to share their faith with their children so that it could be shared with children and grandchildren in future generations? The result of their not being taught about the Lord and how He had blessed the nation of Israel resulted in their turning to idol worship and ultimately to discipline from God.

My granddad’s example impressed upon me the importance of continually turning to the Word of God and teaching my children – and now grandchildren – about His love and compassion, mercy and forgiveness so they will never forget.

 

My question is this: What will you leave for future generations?

 

 Father, nothing is more important than sharing you with my children and grandchildren. Please help me to recognize teachable moments so that I can tell them about your glory and the wonderful things you have done for them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• What do most of your conversations with your children or grandchildren center around?

 

• How often do you talk to your children or grandchildren about Jesus?

 

Apply

• Have mini-sessions with your children and grandchildren to share stories from the Bible about God’s power and love for them.

 

• Emphasize the importance of God’s Word by having a “proud board” in your home to hang pictures your children and grandchildren have drawn from Bible stories.

 

Power

• Psalm 78:1, 4, 6 (NIV) “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth….We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord; his power and the wonders he has done…so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.”

 

• Psalm 102:18 (NIV) “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.”

 

• Romans 15:4 (NIV) “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

 

Heavenly Radar

“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Psalm 139:8 (NIV)

Flying is not one of my favorite things. In fact, it’s probably the first item on my list of things I do NOT like – at all. It comes before spiders, snakes and tornadoes. I’m not afraid of flying. I just do not like it. Any part of it. 

 

               With that in mind, just imagine how I felt when a flight I was on from Washington DC to Kansas City was detoured to Chicago O’Hare International Airport because of a fierce storm. And further imagine how I felt as my flight was delayed – not once – but repeatedly for hours.

 

               My heart was pounding about 200 beats per minute as I looked around me at what appeared to be a huge problem with no solution. I had no idea what to do! I was in a large city I had never been in before. And I was at an airport full of thousands of people who were trying to reschedule flights in order to get home like me, but unlike me, they all seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I did not.

               As I stood in line after line, trying to get a new flight, a thought occurred to me: my husband had no idea that my flight was delayed or that I was in Chicago or that I would be hours late. He would be worried sick as he wondered where I was! I had no cell phone and no way to contact him.

               Would you believe that my husband wasn’t worried at all? He wasn’t. When my plane finally landed at 2:00 a.m. Kansas City, he was waiting at my terminal, smiling at my look of surprise. “How did you know I would be coming on this flight?” I asked him. “I had no way to call you to let you know.”

               “Easy,” he replied. “When I got to the airport and saw that your flight was delayed, I just asked the attendant at the ticket counter how I could find out what had happened. He showed me on his computer where you were, what flight you eventually got, and what seat you were assigned. He even showed me the radar during your whole flight. I wasn’t worried; I always knew exactly where you were.”

               The calm found in Psalm 139:8 whispers to my heart every time I fly but it also shouts to my soul that, no matter where I am, I have the Lord with me. Never once in all of my life has God said “Whoa! Where did she go? I can’t find her.” But instead He has been at my side, guiding every decision I make, giving me strength and courage to keep going no matter what I am facing.

 

               How about you? Have you ever wondered if you are lost in this crazy world to the point that God cannot find you or that He has more important things to do than whatever you are facing? 

Let me reassure you that, no matter where you live or work or lay your head at night, He is there. The Lord is in the middle of your heartache over the loss of a loved one or your grief at a life-threatening disease.  He can be found right beside you as you struggle with a situation at work or at home and yes, - even when we fly “up to the heavens.”

 

 

               Father, thank you for never leaving me, no matter where I am or where I go. I praise you for always having your eye on my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

* Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like God did not know or care       what you were going through?

* Why do you think you believed that idea?

Apply

* Journal all the physical and emotional places that you have been for one week. 

*Beside each entry, write Scripture that reassures you that God is with you in each of those places. Praise Him for never leaving your side.

 

Power 

* Psalm 139:8 (NIV) “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” 

* Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV) “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.”

* Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 

 

 

Branching Out

 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5 (NIV)

 

Many years ago when my grandkids were small, they begged to put up my Christmas tree. “I would love that,” I replied. “How about I give you some directions and then you can do it?” Six little heads immediately shook back and forth. “No thanks. We can do it all by ourselves,” they responded enthusiastically.

 

I smiled and watched as they opened the huge tree box and dumped its contents on the floor. The artificial tree was color-coded to help the person putting it together. Each branch had a colored tip which corresponded to the same colored hole in the tree “trunk.”

 

There were longer branches at the bottom, medium length in the middle and shorter ones at the top. If layered correctly, the tree resembled a triangle.

 

“So what do you think, Grandma?” the tree trimmers asked me after they had finished the tree several minutes later. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I’ve never seen a tree quite like it,” I finally answered. “It is very . . . unique.”

 

The larger, red coded branches that were supposed to be inserted at the bottom of the trunk were at the top. The middle layers were bare with no branches at all. The bottom of the tree, which should have had two layers of six branches each, had only one small branch in each of the two rows. In addition, none of the grandchildren seemed to be concerned that there were several more branches left on the floor.

 

I couldn’t help laughing as I heard one of them comment: “The picture on the box is wrong. It doesn’t look anything like our tree.” Mercy.

 

In today’s Scripture in John 15:5, the branches that Jesus is referring to are not ones on a Christmas tree but rather, each of us. And He is very clear in what He is saying: if we do not stay connected to Him as the Power Source in our lives, we will be useless in bringing others to Him and useless to His kingdom. He is the “picture on the box.” He is the One we should pattern our lives after every day.

 

I shake my head as I think about the times I have tried to do life on my own. As if this “branch” thought she could survive without the Vine of Jesus! I’ve even wondered if “the picture on the box was wrong” as far as His plan for me because my life hadn’t turned out at all like I thought it should

 

We may all be “unique” branches but our relationship with Jesus, the Vine of Life, will keep us connected as we bear much fruit for Him.  

 

Father, I want more than anything to have you first in my life. I desire to be a branch that bears fruit for you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

 

Reflect

• Have you ever felt that you could handle situations in life on your own without the Lord?

 

• How did those situations turn out when you tried to handle them by yourself?

 

Apply

• Draw an outline of a Christmas tree, and write in the Lord at the top.

 

• Begin your day with Jesus at the Top of the tree. Prioritize your list of activities for the day, after you have spent time with Him.

 

Power

• John 15:5 (NIV) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

 

• Psalm 32:8 (NIV) “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

 

• Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

When Staying the Same is Better than Change

 

 

 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

 

One of the best times I remember as a teen was going on a scavenger hunt with friends. We had a list of things that had to be retrieved in order to win a prize. Things like “hair off Grandpa Dale's head” and “get a dime from a woman parked at Simone's Drive-In” topped the list.

 

Whoever got everything collected first would race back to a pre-determined spot and wait for everyone else, gloating over the win.

 
            Recently I had the joy of experiencing a scavenger hunt again . . . at Wal-Mart. Our local store began rearranging everything on shelves and in aisles so that their store would be a carbon copy of every other Wal-Mart. The idea served a great purpose: whatever town a shopper was in, they could easily find what they needed because all their stores were arranged exactly alike.

 

For a directionally-challenged person like me, it sounded wonderful. I had a great time during my first visit after the changes but I also think that I spent twice what I had planned. For example, when I went to the cereal aisle and found chips instead, I thought that I might as well get a bag or two. Looking for a can of corn took me to the candy aisle and who could resist that? After all, candy corn is corn, I reasoned.

 
            Not everyone shared my thrill of the hunt. As I was looking for peanut butter, I noticed what appeared to be a very frustrated woman walking up and down aisle after aisle and periodically looking heavenward as if needing divine help in her search.

 
            Thinking I could be of assistance, I asked “Are you looking for something?” to which she responded “Seriously? Are you kidding?” and then followed that with a huge sigh and a “Sorry. Plastic bags. I need plastic bags. They are not in the store anywhere!

Why would they quit carrying plastic bags?”

 

“Where were they before the changes?” I asked her. “Where the soda pop is now,” she answered, rolling her eyes. I shrugged. “So maybe they are where the soda pop was . . .” “Nope, already checked,” she replied, shaking her head.

 

           A Wal-Mart employee walked by and I couldn't resist: “Hey, I'll give you $5.00 to find plastic bags for this lady.” What he didn’t realize was that I was determined to make it a competition and find them first; however, five minutes later, I heard “I've found them!” and the employee held up the box of plastic bags.

 

The previously frustrated customer pumped her fist in the air and yelled “Yes!” as she grabbed the plastic bags, threw them in her cart, and left to find a can of spaghetti sauce. The employee politely declined the money I offered, stated that it was a pleasure to help a customer and left to help someone else. That was okay with me. Because when I went to the peanut butter aisle, I found the cereal aisle instead . . .

 

Changes occur in our lives every day – sometimes every minute! But how wonderful that today’s Scripture in Hebrews 13:8 reassures us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

 

You will never turn to Jeremiah 31:34 and, instead of reading “I will remember their sin no more,” find that God has changed His mind and has decided “I will remember every single sin you have ever committed.”

 

We will never need to fear that “He is not here; I’m not sure what happened.” has replaced “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6) God’s Word is truth and it is never going to change. Ever.

 

Be comforted in knowing that the God of the Universe who loves you and who stood firm in your yesterday and did not change will also stand firm in your today and in your tomorrow. For eternity.

 

 

Father, Thank you for never changing and for your words of love and truth in my life every day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever had people in your life totally change from how you knew them? What was your initial response?

 

Apply

• Journal people in your life who have completely changed from their beliefs and describe how they have changed.

 

• Now journal promises from God’s Word that reassure you that He will never change. Thank Him for His faithfulness.

 

Power

• Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

 

• Isaiah 40:8 (NIV) “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our not destroyed.”

 

• Malachi 3:6 (NIV) “I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

His First Choice

 

“. . . for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the

peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen

you to be his treasured possession.”

Deuteronomy 14:2 (NIV)

 

About three years after my husband passed away, I received a phone call from an acquaintance asking me out on a date. It caught me by surprise because I had given no thought to dating at all.

           

            The conversation – or rather, his invitation – left me speechless. First we exchanged the usual greetings: “How are you?” “I’m doing okay. And you?” “I’m doing alright, too.” Nothing out of the ordinary there.

 

Then he said “I’m calling to ask you out on a date.” Before I could respond, he continued. "I asked a woman out here in my town that I kind of know but she had other plans. So then I asked out a friend of her sister’s cousin but she couldn’t go either. I couldn’t think of anybody else so I called you.” Mercy.

 

At first the words would not come but I was finally able to find my voice and politely decline his invitation. But I found myself thinking “he just told me that I was his third choice for a date. Not his first or even the second. But his third choice.”

 

Our Scripture is Deuteronomy 14:2. It reads “. . . for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”  Moses could have written that for anyone who has ever been relegated to third – or last – place.

 

For example, you not only do not get the job you applied for but you don’t even get an interview. Or all of your friends are getting together Saturday night and you find out that you were not included.

 

Yes those situations are going to happen in life. But never with God. He says that He chose you to be His “treasured possession.” Something that special and priceless is selected FIRST and cared for and loved. He even says that before we were in the womb, He had already set us apart. (Jeremiah 1:5)

 

Second place? Or even third? No way! We were loved before the world began, set apart as treasures, and selected to serve the Creator of the Universe. So the next time you find yourself second or third or not even considered for something, remember that with the Lord, you are always His first choice.

 

Father, I love knowing that you have chosen me as your possession, as your child. That you treasure me. Thank you for your love and mercy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Can you remember a situation when it was very clear that you were not a first choice for a job or event?

 

• How did that make you feel?

 

Apply

• Journal a paragraph in black ink about a situation you are currently in that causes you to feel you are unwanted or unloved. Beside it, in red ink, journal today’s Power Verses and insert your name in place of the pronoun “you.”

 

• Thank the Lord that He is a personal God and has selected you as His treasured possession.

 

Power

• Deuteronomy 14:2 (NIV) “. . . for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”

 

• John 15:16 (NIV) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

 

• Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 

 

 

 

 

Does God Grade My Prayer?

“Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or
withheld his love from me!”
Psalm 66:20 (NIV)
 
               The first time I had to give a speech at school in front of the whole class, I was in the 4^th grade and I was scared to death.

               There were certain requirements on a speech check list. Each of my classmates had that list, pens in hand, ready to mark either “yes” or “no” in the box beside each bullet point, depending on how the speaker did. A total of 30 points were possible.

               Some of the questions were “Does the speaker capture the attention of the listener?” and “Does the speaker use logical transitions to move from one point to the next?” plus “Will the audience understand the main points of the speaker?”

               As I sat waiting my turn to speak, a million thoughts ran through my head: “what if I forget to stand up straight or mispronounce a word? What if they don’t like the subject I’m talking about or what if they don’t like ME? Is my outfit a good choice for what I am doing or should I have worn something else? 
 
               If everything isn’t just right and they don’t approve of me or what I am saying, they will give me a low score and I will fail! I have to get this right the first time – no second chances!”
 
               The time came for me to speak and I walked to the front of the classroom, smiling bravely on the outside but anxious and worried on the inside. Thankfully I was able to complete my speech and breathed a sigh of relief as I received each list with a majority of check marks in the “yes” box.

               Have you ever come before the Lord to pray and felt a bit like I did giving my speech? What if my words aren’t right when I pray? What if God doesn’t approve of what I am saying? What if my prayer is too long or too short? Does God ever see me as a failure in my prayer time? Does He get tired of me praying the same thing over and over?
 
               How thankful I am for Psalm 66:20. I never have to dread meeting the Lord in prayer because I don’t know how to express myself to Him with the right words. I don’t have to wonder if He will still love me if I share all my thoughts and fears or if He will check the “no” box. 
 
               No matter what, God does not withhold His love from us nor will He reject us when we come to Him in prayer. That truth gives us the confidence to simply say “Father” or “Daddy” or “Jesus” and know without a doubt that He listens, loves, and answers. 
               Father, thank you for hearing me when I call, listening to my simple words and answering me with love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 
 
R.A.P. it up . . . 
 
Reflect
·         Have you ever felt like you were being critiqued by the Lord as you prayed?
 
·         What led you to believe there was a list of right and wrong ways to pray?
 
Apply
·         Underline Psalm 66:20 in your Bible and memorize it.
 
·         Pray this Scripture at the beginning of your prayer time, thanking the Lord for hearing what you are sharing with Him.
 
Power 

Psalm 66:20 (NIV) “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

 

Romans 8:26 (NIV) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

 

Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”