The Gift of Love Friday
Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of
twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love
to my family,
I'm just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of
Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet
meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at
mealtime, but do
not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing
home, and give
all that I have to charity,
but do not show love to my family, it profits me
nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and
crocheted
snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and
sing in the
choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have
missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated
Christmas
china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful
they are there
to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give
in return but
rejoices in giving to those
who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs
will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.
Merry Christmas!
**********************
My Birthday
Well as you know, it's time for my birthday again.
Last year, they had a really big party for me and it
seems like they will again this year. After all
they've been shopping and preparing for it for months
now, and there have been announcements and
advertisements almost every day about how soon it's
coming!
They really do go overboard about it, but it's nice to
know that at least one day of the year some people
are thinking about me a little. You know, it's been
many years now since they first started celebrating my
birthday. Back then they seemed to realize and
appreciate how much fun it is for the little children.
Just the same, it seems that most folks are missing
the point of it all. Like last year, for example,
when my birthday came around, they threw a big party,
but can you believe it? I wasn't even invited!
Imagine! The guest of honor, and they forgot all
about me?
Here they had begun preparing for the festivities
months in advance, but when the big day came, I was
left out in the cold. Well, it happened so many times
in recent years, I wasn't even surprised. Even though
I wasn't invited, I thought I'd just quietly slip in
anyway. So I came in and stood off to the side.
Everyone was drinking, laughing and having a grand
time, when all of a sudden in came this fat fellow in
a bright red suit, wearing a phony white beard and
shouting, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" He looked like he had more
than enough to drink. When he collapsed into a big
armchair, all the little children went running over to
him excitedly yelling, "Santa, Santa!" I mean, you'd
have thought he was the guest of honor and the whole
holiday was just for him.
Finally, I just had to leave. I walked out the door.
It was no surprise that no one even noticed that I had
gone. As I walked down the street afterward, I felt
about as lonely and forlorn as a stray dog. I could
not remember the last time I'd felt that low. Maybe
you don't think I'd cry?
The little manger scene you put in the corner of your
living room is really touching! It's good that people
commemorate my birthday like that. Did you know that
nowadays, in some countries, the authorities won't
even allow manger scenes to be placed in parks,
streets, or public places anymore? Not to mention
their schools? I'm not talking about Communist
countries. I'm talking about the good old USA..
Imagine! What could be more innocent than a manger
scene to remind people of my birthday? Yes, it is
banned! They've actually passed laws against it and
made it illegal! What is this world coming to?
Another thing that amazes me is how, on my birthday,
instead of giving me presents, most people give gifts
to each other? And to top it all off, it's usually all
kinds of stuff they don't even need! Let me ask you,
wouldn't you find it odd if when your birthday came
along, all your friends decided to celebrate it by
giving each other presents and never gave you a thing?
Someone once told me, "Well, it's because you're not
around like other people are, so how can we give you a
present?" You know my answer to that
one.............Give gifts of food and clothing to the
poor, help those who need it. Go visit the lonely!
Any gift you give to your needy fellow man, I'll count
as if you gave it to me personally. (See Matthew
25:34-40)
It reminds me of what happened recently to a friend of
mine, a sweet elderly fellow. He's from the poorer
side of town, and he's been trying unsuccessfully for
years to join the church. It was a very exclusive
church for the proper kind of folks, and they just did
not think he was good enough to be a member. I found
him one day sitting by the church steps with his head
on his hands bowed. I asked him what was wrong. He
told me about it. I put my arm around his shoulder
and told him I knew just how he felt. I've been
wanting to enter that same church for twenty years and
they never let me in either!
Well there is an end even to my patience. So I'm
going to let you in on a secret. Now this is
something I've been planning on doing for quite
sometime. I'll have my own party! How about that?
It's going to be the most fantastic feast you could
possibly imagine! It might not happen this year, but
I'm sending out the invitations now. I know you'll
want to come. There is going to be room for billions,
for everyone who wants to come! Some really famous old
timers and celebrities are going to be there, and I'll
reserve you a seat of honor right there with them!
(Matthew 8:11)
So hold on to your hat, because when everything is
ready, I'm going to spring it as a big surprise! Many
people are going to be left out in the cold, because
they did not answer my invitation. Let me know right
away if you'd like to come. I'll reserve you a place
and write your name in large golden letters in my
great big Guest Book!
Much Love,
Jesus
*****************************
Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara
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