The other day, I had a great conversation with my kids about Jesus. We were talking about Mary, and how scared she must have been to have a baby in a barn on a cold night in Bethlehem. We were also talking about how amazing God is, that He would have sent His son to earth in such a humble way. I mean, we are talking about THE KING of the world. No one before and no one since and no one ever to come will be as great as Jesus, yet God chose to send Him to earth in the lowliest of ways. Surely there is a lesson in this delivery for us all?
Our second child, our only baby girl, was born in January 2004. The Christmas of 2003 I was literally "great with child." I remember that Christmas every year and think about how special I felt. I spent a lot of time that year, as I do every December, thinking about Mary. Like her, I was overjoyed to feel this special life growing inside me, the magical gift every mother has received of having two hearts beating in one body. Unlike her, I had every physical blessing and gift I needed to welcome my baby into a safe, warm and comfortable home. I delivered my baby in a clean, beautiful hospital surrounded by flowers, friends and family. She delivered hers in a barn surrounded by strangers with no medicines or help or security. I was 29....she was a teenager. I was happily married to the father of my baby--she was married to a man who loved her in spite of her unbelieveable circumstances.
The Christmas of 2003 was a very special one for our family, and our daughter and two sons have brought us great joy every year of their little lives. Now, our Christmases are filled with lists, late night shopping trips, hidden surprises, and lots of toys. As these precious children are getting older, I fervently hope I can teach them the real meaning of Christmas, but the truth is, I am just learning it myself.
You see, 2011 has been a year of tremendous spiritual growth in my life. April 27 was the day my eyes were opened to what it feels like to be "the least of these." My safe, comfortable home was damaged in a tornado, we lost power, lost all the food in our refrigerator, and for the first time in our lives, walked in the shoes, every so briefly, of poverty. Certainly, we had the financial resources to weather our storm. We were blessed with family and friends who poured blessings on our heads. But in that critical day and the weeks that followed, I saw for the first time that the Lord gives, and in the blink of an eye, can take away.
Because of that life-changing experience, I joined the Mission Athens team. All throughout the year, we have been blessed with the opportunity to serve those who are less fortunate. We have met teenage moms, babies with no shoes, fathers and mothers who are homeless, elderly widows who have no heat, battered women searching for a safe harbor, and even convicted criminals who are looking for a fresh start in life. We have fed hungry people, paid utlity bills to keep the lights on, "made-over" houses to make them more comfortable, helped peole find jobs, hotel rooms, cars and shoes. We have been amazed at the prayers that have been answered, and we have had our hearts broken by people whose lives have been so tragic. Wives who have lost husbands, children who have lost moms, families whose houses were blown away or burned to the ground, and people with every kind of physical and mental disability you can imagine.
Throughout all of these experiences, we have grown. We have been overwhelmed, exhausted, encouraged and discouraged, full of hope and full of sorrow. It has been a true roller coaster ride, and we never know what the next week will bring.
What does all this have to do with a baby in a barn? Everything. For the first time in my life, I feel like I am finally "getting it." Putting on Christ, calling ourselves Christians, has very little to do with putting on our Sunday clothes and sitting in a pew three times a week. It has everything to do with using our heads, hearts and hands to serve this world. Jesus said, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me." He came to this earth in a very "least of these" fashion, and I don't think it was an accident.
When you see a teenage mom, do you think of Him? When you see a baby who has no home, can you imagine he is Jesus? When you hear about a lonely old woman who is using her oven to stay warm, do you imagine Mary in that cold barn? Jesus spent his adult life as a homeless man, encouraging others to abandon all their worldly comforts to follow him. Are we willing to give up just a small portion of our worldly possessions to share with the "least of these" in His holy name?
If Jesus knocked on your door, what would you do to welcome Him? Wouldn't you set the table with the finest china, prepare Him delicious food, praise Him and go out of your way to make Him feel welcome? If we lived when He was born, would we have made room for Him in our inn? These questions are so difficult to answer. We like to think that we would wash His feet with our hair and that we would do all that we could to love Him, but the tough reality is, we turn our backs to Him far too often when we overlook the opportunities we have every day to help "the least of these...."
I am learning to see my Lord's beautiful face in the faces of all of these "leasts." How can I repay the most amazing gift, the gift of Jesus's life, for my life? I cannot. I can only devote my life to His service. I can only try to help these hungry children, these forgotten mothers. I can pray for His wisdom and guidance, and I know He hears me. I can do each day all that I can do to help those who are all around me who desperately need His love.
You see, I cannot go back in time to Bethlehem, to wrap Mary and her precious baby in the warmth of a blanket, feed them hot food, give them a new heater and safe passage. I can only give these gifts to people here, now, who also need them just as much. Because He was born in a barn, I can live and use my life to tell His story. Because of His lowly birth, humble life, death on the cross and resurrection, I can have hope. Because He was born, lived and died for me, I have no choice but to live for Him.
This Christmas, the Mission Athens team has been answering call after call for help. There are so many in our community who are hurting. Please share this post with your friends, and please encourage those you know to donate to help us help the "least of these" in our community. You may send checks to Central Church of Christ--Mission Athens, 320 U.S. Highway 31 North, Athens, AL 35611. One hundred percent of the money you give will be used to help those less fortunate. Food, clothes, shelter--these basic necessities we give, along with prayers that He would be glorified through our actions.
Mary, how I wonder, did you know? Did you know that your precious baby wrapped in swaddling clothes would change my life thousands of years later? Did you know that your difficult delivery would bring me to my knees? Oh, the questions I have for you. Thank you so much for giving your life to bring this amazing son to all of us.
Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, King Most High who you loved and kissed and rocked and comforted in a barn on a cold night in Bethlehem.....Lord, come quickly....teach us the lessons of Your love....help us to see You in the "least of these."
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