Bread of Life

A couple of weeks ago, Gavin and I celebrated 16 years of marriage.  I was only 15 when we began dating, and I'm almost 38 now, so we've been together a pretty long time.  We've had our share of ups and downs, and yet, the years have stretched out over a beautiful landscape made richer by the storms we've weathered and the opportunities that sometimes disguised themselves as obstacles.  On our anniversary, we enjoy spending time reflecting on our time together. 

"What was a highlight of this year?" 

"What do you hope we can do differently next year?"

"How can I be a better husband/wife to you?"

There's a little bit of nostalgia mixed in with the promise of our future days together.  Because we love each other so much, we have always worked very hard (even in our anger) to keep it together. Whenever we hastened to fix our problems on our own, solutions disintegrated, and the challenges overwhelmed us.  But whenever we handed over what we had to God, he honored our gift and multiplied the blessings.  Sometimes, we thought we were giving up when what we were really doing was giving what we had to the only One who actually had the capacity to do something with it.

One of the greatest miracles of the New Testament is Jesus's feeding of the 5,000.  Found in  Matthew 15, Mark 8, Luke 9,  and John 6 , it chronicles what happens when one responsible little boy gives his meager lunch to Jesus.  With just a couple of fish and a few handfuls of bread, Jesus satisfies the hunger of an enormous crowd of people.   It's interesting to me that Jesus broke the bread, gave thanks, and then multiplied it.  So often, we are the ones who are broken, and we've done it to ourselves.  With so little to share, so little to give, God takes the broken pieces and multiplies them into something that's worthy of more than a story--a real life miracle.  Most notably, he commands his disciples to:  "Gather the pieces that are left over.  Let nothing be wasted."  Yes, even in our brokenness, nothing is wasted. 

In hindsight, I am grateful for the times when I went all to pieces.  Now, when I look forward, I expect a miracle.  If I ever believe the lie that I have nothing to give, all I have to do is read the account outlined in all four gospels.  God does way more with the broken pieces than I could ever do with a basket of hoarded morsels.  Maybe nothing would ever "go to Hell in a handbasket" if we were all willing to take what we have, break it open, bare our soul, admit our deficiencies, and put it all in the basket that Jesus is holding. 

Two thousand years ago, more than five thousand people got to participate in a miracle, and all because one little boy was brave enough to give those pieces to Jesus.  The people went away satisfied, and not just because their bellies were full.  Their hearts were, too.

What Mary Taught Me

Every year, at Christmastime, our family reads The Christmas Story.  As a child, my family read it together on Christmas Eve.  Now, my children look forward to sharing the reason for the season as we enjoy the traditions of the holiday at our house.   It's found in Luke 2 and is the written account of Jesus' birth.  There's a verse I love, though have often missed, toward the end of the account.  It reads simply,  "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."   (19)

Young Mary, a virgin visited by an angel and told that she would be the mother of the Son of God.  Traveled, pregnant, on a donkey, to Bethlehem to participate in Caesar's census.
Gave birth in a stable.
Wrapped her child in cloths and laid him in a feeding trough.
Visited by shepherds and angels.
Then, fled to Egypt to escape Herod's jealousy.
Mother of a king.

Mary "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart".  She was a young girl on the brink of a bright future with a new husband, when things turned suddenly awry.  In the course of one sleepless night, the outcome of her fate (and ours) changed forever.  How do you think she felt?

For the first time this year, we included a Bible verse on the front of our Christmas card.  I'm wondering if Mary remembered these verses as she watched God's promise to her unfold?  Proverbs 3:3-4 says, "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." 

When Mary "pondered", I think she was writing a history of all that transpired on the tablet of her heart.  In a song she penned, she declares, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name."  (Luke 1:46-49)

Clearly, she clung to the promise of Proverbs 3.  At the risk of sounding blasphemous, I used to read these verses and think that Mary sounded anything but humble.  Now, I get it.  She understood that when you let love and faithfulness never leave you, when you bind them around your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart, you win favor and a good name in the sight of both God and man.  Two thousand years later, we honor Mary for her faith in the face of humiliation and adversity.  Additionally, we glorify God because he chose Mary to be the mother of his precious son. 

What does it mean to ponder?  How do you bind love and faithfulness around your neck?  What does it look like to write these things on the tablet of your heart?  Reading these words now, I think it's how we remember what God has done on our behalf.

We recognize.
We reflect.
We remember.

Over and over again, and throughout both the Old and New Testaments, we find that God's chosen people offered prayers of thanksgiving and praise.  Their love and faithfulness filled their hearts with the message that God keeps his promises, and like Mary, we can say with faith, "I am the Lord's servant....May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38) Many times throughout her life, I have to believe that Mary consulted the tablet of her heart.  If she's like me, then she needed to tap into what was written there to remind herself that in the midst of heartache, pain, suffering, and even joy, God reigns.  His love endures forever.

May you remember the message of God's love for you this Christmas.  He sent his only son into the world to live and die for our sins.  He conquered death to live again that you who were lost might find him and accept him and receive eternal life.

Merry Christmas!

I Believe

If you could ask Santa just one question, what would it be?

My four year old daughter only wanted to know this:  "When were you a baby?"

You see, when she thinks about Christmas, she thinks about Jesus.  She knows the story of his birth found in Luke 2.  God loves her so much that he sent his son into the world as a baby, to grow up and experience life like us, to be tempted and tried and ultimately to suffer and die for us.  A tiny baby.  Who grew up to be a king.  And a servant.  And the greatest hero that ever lived.

Now, tell me again, what did Santa do?  Well, he's fat and jolly and he travels around the world in a magic sleigh on Christmas Eve to give good boys and girls their gifts.

Better hope you're not on the naughty list!

In the weeks prior to Christmas, children across the country exhibit only their best behavior.  Why?  Because Santa sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake.  Guess what?  So does Jesus.  But thank God I don't have to worry about being on the naughty/nice list.   

How good do you have to be?  Ninety-five percent good?  Eighty?  Just fifty-one percent?  No one really knows.  We all go to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads, dreaming (praying) that we won't wake up with a bag of coal in our stockings.

Now, there's some creepy imagery.  When I think about coal, I think hot..., pit..., fire...and dare I say it, H-E-Double- Hockey- Sticks?  Yikes.

I love Christmas.  I love sharing Santa with my kids, but I never want them to confuse Santa with Jesus.

Santa knows about me.  But Jesus knows me.

Santa lives far, far away.  Jesus lives in me.

I can write letters to Santa, but I can talk to Jesus.  God responds to my inquiries through the book he wrote just for me.  Best of all, I can read it anytime I want.

Santa's gifts collect dust, clutter shelves, and crowd toy boxes.  Jesus gave me the most amazing gift I've ever received.  Not only did he give me life, he saved my life.

This holiday, when you say, "I believe", what are you proclaiming?  Faith in an old, fat guy who flies through the sky and delivers presents to the whole world by climbing down the chimneys of sleeping children?

Eventually, my young daughter will suspect that something is amiss here.  I will not hesitate to tell her the truth.  Right now, we're having fun pretending that Santa and his band of tiny elves visit us on Christmas Eve, but not without talking about Jesus' starring role in the whole affair.  

Now, who do you want to honor on Christmas day?

Remember, Christmas began with the birth of the baby.  James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."    This year, when you sit on Santa's lap, remember you've already received the perfect gift.