Category Archives: God’s plans for us

Let’s see!

Posted on by

God with UsThe marvel of Christmas is “God with us.” Though this is absolutely astounding, it’s difficult to grasp the depth of it, so during church last week our pastor went back into the Old Testament, before Christ’s birth, to see what God’s presence looked like.

First he mentioned the “thick and dreadful darkness” * that came over Abraham in conjunction with God’s arrival on the scene. Then he described the pillars of fire and cloud which were God’s actual presence when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt. **

Pastor Jay also described the time when God allowed Moses to see only his backside as his presence passed by, reminding him that if he saw his face, Moses would die. *** He also read about God’s presence coming in a whirlwind much like a terrifying tornado. **** In other words, the message of God’s physical presence was that we keep our distance and acknowledge a healthy fear of him.

Angels and shepherdsAnd then we come to Luke 2 where an angel says, “You will find him!”

That’s followed by the shepherds’ response, “Let’s go and see!”

The limited-access God of the Old Testament was announcing that everything would be different from then on. No more keeping our distance. No more dreadful darkness. No more whirlwind. No more smoke. No more fear.

In other words, no more unapproachable Divinity. Instead it was going to be, “Come and see.” Approach him. Get close. Interact. Worship. That night the presence of God became accessible in a brand new way. An unexpected invitation was extended to “Come and see that God is with us!”

And that’s the astounding truth of Christmas.

“The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today…. and you will recognize him…” (Luke 2:11-12)

*Genesis 15:12   **Exodus 13:22   ***Exodus 33:20   ****Job 40:6

Praising and Praying with Mary

I’m praising God for being surrounded by my loving family, now 26 strong, and for still being able to say I’m feeling good.

 

Gift-giving

Posted on by

All of us have experienced Secret Santa gifts. Maybe it was in elementary school or Girl Scouts or even in an office setting, but we’re familiar with the inexpensive gift-giving done anonymously to someone assigned to us.

Keeping secrets is always fun, at Christmas or any time. Last week, for example, I received something that was given in secret. While I was away from home, someone came to our door and left an envelope on the front mat.

???????????????????????????????I didn’t recognize the writing, and when I opened it, I expected to see a “from who.” Instead of a signature there was just a short message: “Go get some donuts, diapers or dog treats – whatever you need. Wishing you God Speed. Your friend.” Tucked inside was a gift card for $100!

Birgitta and I studied the handwriting, trying to determine if we’d seen it before. Was it a woman’s writing? A man’s? Was it a young person? Someone older? I began asking around, but no one would claim responsibility. I wish I could say thanks, but anonymous gift-givers usually aren’t looking for that.

Giving anonymously is done only with careful intention, and very few do it. But when Jesus said, “It’s more blessed to give than receive,” he meant it for non-credited givers as well as those hoping for credit. Maybe those whose gifts are given in secret somehow enjoy their giving even more than the rest of us.

What kind of person gives anonymously? Maybe it’s someone who simply loves keeping secrets. Or it might be a person who doesn’t want a relationship to be tipped one way or another by the size or type of gift. It’s also possible the anonymous giver wants to be sure the gift can’t be given back, in case the receiver considers it too generous.

God is all for secretive giving. Using an interesting metaphor, he says in Scripture that we shouldn’t even let one of our hands know what the other is giving. The Bible also says that if no credit is sought on earth, the giver will be credited in heaven. (And if I know God at all, it’ll probably significantly magnified.)

Anonymous giftSo, dear anonymous friend, thank you for your very generous gift. God watched you leave it at my house and is personally planning something very special for you!

“Your Father who sees in secret will himself reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:4)

One More from Melanie

Posted on by

In this season of giving, we’ve peeked in on how someone else does it, providing some fresh oomph for all of us to pass along whatever kindnesses we can. Melanie reported, after her birthday was over, that next year she’ll tweak her system to make it more efficient. After all, the number of kindnesses will only grow as the candles on her cake increase. Here’s what she wrote in an email:

At the end of the day I was pretty worn out…next year I’ll have to start giving myself a week to accomplish my list, because it’s not going to get any easier to get through it.  

Kindness..Many of the things were actually just a matter of getting around to my good intentions…notes I meant to write or thank-you’s I meant to say long ago but hadn’t accomplished. It felt good to just hunker down and be intentional (which is the opposite of random, I know) about making sure certain people were feeling loved and appreciated. I learned that it really doesn’t take much time at all, with a little planning, to brighten someone’s day who really needs it.

A few more things I learned… 

Kindness participantKindness starts at home. There are a gazillion things I do that all of us moms and wives do to serve our families, but I’m learning that there’s a big difference in the way I go about it when I have the mindset of, “How can I bless them?” I noticed an absence of resentment and an all-around better attitude when I thought to myself, “I can get this for him,” or “She would like it if…” Thanks, Lord, for the heart change! 

Along those lines, as this becomes a birthday tradition, I may make arrangements so the kids aren’t with me the _whole_ time I’m running around town. It may get easier as they get older, but this year I heard a lot of whining about getting in and out of the car, and it really amounted to a long day with lots of driving around for them. 

I also learned that I’m really awkward when I’m talking to random people. But the look of surprise when they learn they’re getting a free coffee is worth it.

Kindness....And I want to be sure to bless people who don’t get many thank-you’s, like those serving at school or church or cleaning public restrooms.  

And most importantly, I want to make the day less about “random,” which is a little too much about me and “how nice I am.” Instead I want to more purposefully share the love of Christ, because without him, I’m rotten and selfish.

And lastly, I confirmed that I have the most patient, indulgent husband. He drove around in rush hour traffic for me and never complained.  

All in all, best birthday ever. Tradition established. 

Love, Mel

“Remember this…. Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”                    (2 Corinthians 9:6)

Praising and praying with Mary

I’m praising God for an early Christmas gift: my feeding tube came out today! Thank you so much for the faithful praying all of you did about this!