Challenge to Each of You this Christmas Morn

Merry Christmas to each and every single one of you! It is my greatest hope that you find a special wonder about Christmas this year. Examine yourselves.....what does Christmas MEAN to you, your family? Did you start new traditions this year? We did....and I'm thrilled to share them with you. But that is for another day. More importantly...so much moreso.....is the Christ child in a manger....an innocent child who is the King. Not what the ppl of the day thought or expected their king to be when he finally arrived. A babe in a manger...why a child? A baby? A baby needs so much from us, Aren't kings someone that don't "need" us? That isn't the case with the Christ child, he SO MUCH needs us....as much as we need him. Think about it, a baby is totally dependant on us for his/her care.....they can do nothing for themselves. They must grow, learn and be taught everything. Hey....when Jesus came.....didn't he come to do those exact things for us? To show us a better way....The NEW covenant....to teach us.....to help us grow, etc. How ironic. But why? Why did our King come as a babe in a lowly manger? Not on a throne?

Do you think that it is possible, merely possible, that the reason Jesus came as a baby was yet a teaching tool? How you ask? We must learn to give of ourselves in order to receive otherwise it loses its total meaning. Giving of ourselves to the Christ "child" so that he can grow.....he came as a human, right...but what does THE Christ need to learn? Not a thing....but oh do we. We need to learn to be sacrifical, to be giving of our hearts and our souls not just during this Christmas season....but on a daily basis. For when you give from the heart, the soul and the mind......in the name of Jesus Christ.....it changes you. In giving to others, you receive....do you understand this? Do you feel it? Do you know it? Do you want to know this? Then as "Nike" says......"Just do it!"

My heart was given the opportunity to do just as I'm saying here. On Thursday, Dec. 23, a young man walked through the doors of my work (I'm the Administrative Assistant of a church) looking for help. Now, I could've done 1 of 2 things.....tell him "I'm sorry, but we just don't have the means to help here at the church." (we really don't) OR I could've opened my heart and just listened to him. Justin was his name. That is all I know. That is all I need to know. But I'll never forget Justin....or his face....or the desperation in his voice when he told me that he was kicked out of his home in Kansas and came here to the So. In. area for a girl (that smells like trouble for him already, huh?). He wanted a bus ticket to go back HOME. This wasn't home, he was homeless. My heart ached for him as his story unfolded. After being kicked out, and Justin was here in So. In, his father died. He felt so guilty that a GIRL kept him from being with his father in his last days. It was an unexpected death. He must'nt blame himself. Easy to say, huh?! Well, he's been homeless for 1 month now and his family refuses to help get him home. He is remorseful....he is full of regrets. First I listened....with my heart, not only my ears. I can only hope he felt this and knew it. The girl dumped him right after coming all the way from kansas.....she'd used him and threw him away. I can't imagine being homeless....any time of the year....but seriously, it's Christmas! I listened and then I felt so inclined from the good Lord above to share with him.....and he willingly listened and took it to heart (I think anyways...if not, seeds were planted in that moment).

I told Justin he was standing at a CROSSROADS in his life this very moment. Only HE could make the decision on which road he was going to take....not mom, not step-mom, not ex-girlfriend, no one! Only Justin! I spoke of the true love that the Lord our God has for him....always has and always will. Jesus has been standing next to him in his life, waiting...just waiting for Justin to open his arms, his heart and his mind. To give of himself to Jesus. I then spoke of PRAYER and the power of prayer. I told him that prayer is nothing fancy, nothing eleoquent.....just talkin'....to his friend....to his redeemer! Talk to him no matter what time of day it is, no matter where you are....Jesus just wants to hear our voices. Haven't you ever had a moment where you missed someone SO MUCH, and just needed to hear their voice and it renewed you. Think of that when thinking of Jesus' longing to "chat" with us!!

I gave Justin a little bit of money to get him started on his journey home. It was a REAL SACRIFICE for me to do so. Things are incredibly tight right now. But when you give from your heart, when it actually is a SACRIFICE.....wow.....there is power in that!

Will I ever know what comes of Justin? No. But I do know this.....that Jesus was with us for those 35 ~ 45 minutes that Justin and I talked. It is my deepest hope and I long for Justin to go HOME.....to family....he now knows what  is important in his life. Getting priorities in order. Thank you so much, Jesus, for teaching me to be sacrifical and that I was able to renew and give hope this Christmas season to one. All it takes is one at a time. We cannot help them all......but we can help one!