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The Gift of a Father

For the last several days we’ve been looking at the different names and characteristics of Jesus that are mentioned in Isaiah. He was given to us for a purpose, to restore us in relationship to God the Father. One purpose but it was multi-faceted in execution.

“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 ERV

We have looked at Jesus as the Counsellor, Almighty God and the Prince of Peace. This morning we will look at him as the eternal father or as the translation above says, the Father who lives forever.

I lost my dad almost 12 years ago and I miss him! But before he died, we lost him to dementia. I don’t think it was called Alzheimer but all in the same I saw him fade away. He was a wonderful man; tough but loving!

For those of you who are familiar with an older country song, Daddy’s Hands, the lyrics pretty much describe him to a T. I loved going fishing with him, Saturday mornings going to get donuts, dove hunting, watching him play with my children and taking them fishing…. A good man. He loved to sing and I loved to sing with him. One of my final visits home I enjoyed a cherished time; daddy was having a hard time sleeping so I went in and sat on his bed in the dark and sang hymns and choruses to him, sometimes he sang along and others he would just lay there and listen. He slept well those nights, I’m glad!

One of the main things I remember about Christmas was my dad reading the Christmas story each Christmas morning before we opened our presents, that’s why we did the same with our kids and grandkids. Then Daddy would pray and we would open gifts. I only remember 2 or 3 presents I received as a child but I always remember the story and the prayer.

I know not everyone had a relationship with their dad the way I did. I know not everyone can recall such wonderful memories. However, now with him gone, I also am drawn even closer in my relationship with my heavenly Father. He’s always here, I can hear His voice and feel His presence and it makes me glad. He is the Father who lives forever and will never die. My heavenly Father is my strength when I feel weak, my joy when depression would like to take over and my peace in every situation. There’s nothing that I have faced in the past or that will flood my future that He doesn’t know about and He has provided an answer for.

Everlasting Father. Just those two words bring comfort and contentment.

“Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. 15 God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.[a] 16 God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children.” Romans 8:14-16 CEV

[a] “Abba” (meaning “father”), which shows the close relation between the children and their father.

To me the word Abba means daddy.

If you didn’t have a father like mine, you can have the same heavenly Father and His love is so much deeper, so much greater, so much more intimate than what I experienced with my natural Father. If you do or did have a wonderful relationship with your Father, it can bring you such joy to know that you never have to be without that closeness of the heart, the warmth, the acceptance, the unconditional love with your heavenly Father too.

What a wonderful gift we have been given – the Everlasting Father!

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The Gift of Power

Have you noticed how many movies are about Super Heroes? And it’s not just the kids that are going to see them. Adults are flocking to the theatres to see this bigger than life crime fighters. When I was a kid it was Mighty Mouse, Superman, then came Underdog, the Bionic Man, Wonder Woman and Batman. Now it’s the heroes of the Marvel comics or Storm Troopers and Jedi. So many others have been added or brought to the forefront but all them had one basic principal, they save us from evil injustice.

“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 ERV

Mighty God – Powerful God. Yes, God all mighty and all powerful.

The stories in the Bible aren’t just nice little tales to give us hope when things look bad. The Bible is an accurate portrayal of God’s intervention into the lives of those He loves. Noah and the ark, Joseph and Egypt’s protection during famine, Moses and the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, Joshua and the walls of Jericho, the immaculate conception and birth of Christ, the healed leper, feeding 5000+ with a small lunch, raising of Lazarus from the dead, turning the water into wine, protection on the open seas – all real, all true, all God intervening in the lives of those He loves.

“God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 CEV

Joseph, a young Jewish man, had just learned that his fiance` was pregnant. By Jewish, custom he could have had her publicly stoned but he loved Mary and was struggling with what to do. He had decided to have her put away quietly, move her to another town, let her start life over. But God came to him in a dream and gave him this message.

23 “The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel.” (Immanuel means “God with us.”) 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord’s angel told him to do. He married Mary.” Matthew 1:23-24 ERV

Yes, Immanuel, God with us! No super hero can compare to our God. His plan was and still is to be Mighty God. His purpose is to complete our lives, He desires to give us everything we need.

” I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

Thank you Father that You truly are God Almighty.

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The Gift in the Plain Wrapping

Have you ever bought a gift, the perfect gift, and had to keep it hidden away in the closet or under the bed so that it wouldn’t be found until just the right time? This has been THE most special, spectacular gift ever. You may have even started dropping hints like “you are absolutely going to love the gift I got for you”. The excitement was building! You could hardly wait, the anticipation of giving this wonderful present filled your every thought! But because the gift was so special you knew it didn’t need fancy bows or brightly colored paper, simple and plain was the best – it wouldn’t detract from the gift.

If that has ever been your experience then you know just some of the joy and anticipation that God the Father was feeling on that night when He sent the angels to the fields outside of Bethlehem to herald the news, His gift had arrived!

“That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. 9 All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. 10 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. 11 This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.” Luke 2:8-12 CEV

Enter Jesus, the best gift ever!

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

God had been waiting to give this gift, wrapped in the body of a human baby, since way back in the Garden of Eden. God had enjoyed his relationship with Adam and Eve and would walk and talk with them each day until they sinned and broke that bond. From that time forward God the Father began working on a plan that would restore that relationship.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 CEV

Jesus restored us to the position that we had before Adam sinned. In Christ we are a NEW CREATION – a new creature – like the one that God created in the Garden. Jesus restored us to our place of being created in God’s likeness.

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:4-10 ERV

In Christ we have been made new. It’s not something we work to earn but something we receive freely by grace. Just as Adam, created man, was God’s idea and he did nothing to deserve or even request his creation, it was God’s plan; so is salvation and the restoration of man to a living and loving relationship with the Father God.

So since it’s Christmas, I give you permission to open the best gift you have ever received, the One that came wrapped in muslin cloth and was placed on a bed of hay in a manger – the gift of salvation, of renewed life and relationship with the Father. Open it now and share it with others!

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A Wonderful Counselor

What do you do when you run into those situations that you just don’t understand and need some extra insight? Do you have a trusted friend that you can talk to, someone who gives good advice, a counselor who will give you the proper perspective?

It seems we are a society intent on gaining information and affirmation. My goodness, just look at the afternoon “talk shows” and commentaries. If that isn’t enough to set your head swimming you can “research” just about anything on the net and get an “expert’s” advice. There you will find answers to medical issues, marital advice and even financial investment guidance. Oh but wait, there’s still more. Then you can get a You-Tube video to give you instruction for mechanical, construction and destruction projects.

Yes, we are a society in search of answers.

Who’s better than Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Oprah, Judge Judy, the horoscope, Howard Stern, the entire news service and the net? The Counselor!

“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 ERV

He’s never given bad advice – never. He’s never drawn a wrong conclusion or made a judgment out of malice. He’s never gone back and change his mind because of political correctness or because more information has surfaced. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

His Word is infallible, His judgments are pure and righteous and He is easy to reach – no appointment necessary. No waiting – come right in and it’s free!

“ Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ERV

This Counselor knows all the answers. He knows the beginning from the end. There isn’t a topic of concern that is above his pay grade or surpasses His knowledge. He can accurately advise you on any subject.

“The Lord’s laws are right. They make people happy. The Lord’s commands are good. They show people the right way to live. 9 Learning respect for the Lord is good. It will last forever. The Lord’s judgments are right. They are completely fair. 10 His teachings are worth more than pure gold. They are sweeter than the best honey dripping from the honeycomb.” Psalm 19:8-10 ERV

Jesus is also our advocate, our defense attorney. He is the one who pleads our case but it isn’t based on our merit but on His.

“My dear children, I write this letter to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone sins, we have Jesus Christ to help us. He always did what was right, so he is able to defend us before God the Father. 2 Jesus is the way our sins are taken away. And he is the way all people can have their sins taken away too.” I John 2:1-2 ERV

“With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

The one requirement on your part is time. Take time to read the information He gives. Go ahead it’s there for you. You may say you don’t understand the Bible, I agree that some translations are difficult to understand but there’s an app for that. I use the Bible Gateway app all the time, www.biblegateway.com. It lists multiple translations and paraphrases to help you understand God’s word. And you’re going to be spending time, one way or another, searching for your answer so why not start here first?

Set up your “counselling” appointment today. Lay down on the couch, rest in Him and find help in your time of need!

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The Gift of Faithfulness

Faithfulness! The sign of a true friend is faithfulness. Through the years, Dave and I have been blessed with many acquaintances and even dear situational friendships. You know, those friends that are in your life for a particular seasonal or location. But then there are the friends that rise above time and space. They are the ones who you may not talk to for months or even years but when you see them, your heart is stirred with love and memories and the relationship picks up and grows even deeper.

Yes, we have been truly blessed with friends that fall into that category! Our lives are richer, warmer and fuller because of their love!

I was mediating on that word “faithfulness”. Faith+full+ness. Faith= the established belief in someone or something not seen. The knowing that they will always be the same. Never failing, always there.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Full= not empty, not lacking, abundance, more than enough.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

Ness= a suffix added to a word to indicate quality

Faith= believing in the unseen; Full= abundance; Ness= quality Faithfulness: believing in the abundance of someone always being the same in overflowing abundance, to the greatest extent or quality.

God’s faithfulness endures forever! He will always be the same – He keeps His promises and His love never fails! Rest in Him today.

“Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
as the heavens.
90 You remain faithful
in every generation,
and the earth you created
will keep standing firm.
91 All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
are still in effect today.
92 If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
I would have died in misery.
93 I won’t ever forget
your teachings,
because you give me new life
by following them.” Psalm 119:89-93 CEV

Trust in the faithfulness of your loving heavenly Father! It’s His gift to us.

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The Gift of Tradition

A big complaint that you hear this time of year is that Christmas is over commercialized and I certainly agree with that. My question is what are you doing about it? (I’ll pause for a moment to give you an opportunity to think about it).

When our kids were small Christmas wasn’t about them, it was about Jesus – His birthday was the focus of our celebration. Yes, they did get presents from family and friends but our hearts were set on giving. We would go shopping for dolls and trucks and then pack them in a big box and send them off to a ministry that gave them to orphanages. One year, our youngest, had a Christmas party inviting her friends and asked them each to bring a toy that could be given to Toys for Tots and our churches often had “Angel Trees” where we could chose to buy something for a child.

Another thing, we had a tree but it wasn’t our focus. The Nativity was the highlight of our Christmas decorating. It was large and filled a table top. Today it is still one of the first, if not the only, things that is placed when I decorate.

I told you a few days ago about the candy canes and giving them out while you were out doing your normal shopping. And of course, the first thing we do on Christmas morning is open the Bible and read the Christmas story. Even now when it’s just Dave and I we still read the Christmas story. One year we were streaming live with our kids and grandkids so that they could have Pappy read the Christmas story.

I encourage you to share with us your “Christ-centered” Christmas traditions. Tradition is good. It serves as a reminder of meaningful times. In fact the Bible is filled with traditional celebrations and the Lord said those celebrations were to be a reminder to His people of the way He provided for them in the past. We are the ones that must keep the true meaning of Christmas alive in our hearts and the hearts of our children and grandchildren.

” Then Joshua said to the people, “Now you have heard the Lord’s words. So you must respect the Lord and sincerely serve him. Throw away the false gods that your ancestors worshiped. That was something that happened a long time ago on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Now you must serve only the Lord. 15 “But maybe you don’t want to serve the Lord. You must choose for yourselves today. Today you must decide who you will serve. Will you serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River? Or will you serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land? You must choose for yourselves. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” 16 Then the people answered, “We will never stop following the Lord. We will never serve other gods!” Joshua 24:14-16 ERV

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The Gift of Adoption

I recently watched a video of a young couple who adopted a little baby girl. It was a very touching story – made me cry! Their desire for this child was overwhelming; the news of her birth filled their hearts with joy and their eyes with tears. Then came the moment that they saw her for the very first time – the cradled her in their arms, kissed her repeatedly and yes, there were more tears. Finally they had the opportunity to introduce her to the rest of the family, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews. What joy!

The video finally ended with them speaking vows of commitment to her. (Remember the power of words) They united themselves to her, to love and provide for her, to give her everything she needed (not wanted) for life. They promised to protect, to nurture, to love, to encourage, to listen, to correct.

An adopted child is a chosen child. Your heart reaches out to hold what you didn’t conceive. The bond is just as strong!

Did you know that we have all received the gift of adoption?

The Apostle Paul writes about that in Ephesians and Romans and tells us that we have been adopted by God in heaven and it’s Jesus would did all that was necessary to make the adoption complete.

“Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:4-6 CEV

And in another translation

“Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

5 For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]—

6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:4-6 AMP

Read through that again. I know it’s lengthy but break it down phrase by phrase. God the Father, the loving heavenly father, picked us out from himself. He made a way for us to be blameless (that’s grace) and He loves us!

We’re His kids and He wants us to come Him the same way loving, earthly fathers want their kids to come to them. He wants to teach, protect us, enjoy life with us. He wants us to come often and with excitement to be in his presence.

“The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15 The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen (adopted) children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba,(Daddy) Father.” 16 And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:14-16 ERV

My Dad was a good guy – I enjoyed my time of hunting and fishing with him. He was strong and protective. He was honest and accepting. He wasn’t perfect and he was a strict and a disciplinarian but he taught me right from wrong. He was a good example of what a dad should be so when I think about my heavenly Father I have a good basis of what a Father is and does. I know that not everyone has that ability because their earthly fathers weren’t kind.

Let me leave you with one verse this morning.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

Take time to go to your Heavenly Father this morning and thank Him for adopting you. Thank Him that you were chosen and that He invites you to come to Him any time, no matter the need and that He will help and treat you with kindness. And then, if you don’t have a good image of a Father, ask Him to show you what it really means to be his adopted child. He’ll be glad to demonstrate His love in a way that you can understand!

“But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 AMP

Oh yes, what a joy to be adopted!

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The Gift of Constant Peace

And his name shall be called “Prince of Peace”.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV

Peace: quietness, stillness, rest, prosperity. Jesus came to bring peace.

I live in a small community so we don’t have many of the external factors that disturb the peace; we don’t have a lot of fires or accidents that bring the sirens, no traffic jams, or fighting for parking places. To us a crowd is more than 3 people in line at the grocery store and the biggest disturbance is the school bus that rushes down the road each morning or the Fed-X truck each afternoon. In fact, in the evening we can hear the deer as they walk through the brush on the lot next door, the quail calling for the chicks and the dove cooing in the trees.

But regardless of our lack of external factors, the internal ones are the same no matter where you are. Anxiety, interpersonal conflict, health concerns, financial issues – those affect everyone no matter where you live. A sense of peace was so important to God that he made it part of His name, “Prince of Peace”. The peace that He was referring too will bring us peace in all the areas listed above. He was talking about peace between God and man. I’ve heard it said that there are 365 verses in the Bible that tell us not to worry or be anxious or afraid; one for each day of the year!

“Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor].” Luke 2:14 AMP

Peace between God and man was broken in the garden of Eden when Adam sinned. Their relationship was affected and Christ came to restore that relationship. He came to reconcile the relationship between God and man.

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Jesus spoke to his followers time and again about peace. And one of the last things He told them was this.

“Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” John 14:26 AMP

This was His instruction right before His crucifixion. He was talking to them about peace. The angels announced His birth with peace and at His death he was still talking about peace.

I give you permission to open a Christmas present early this year. It’s probably the most valuable gift you’ll receive – untie the bow, open the box and the let peace of God, which bypasses our understanding, guard your heart and mind (Phil 4:7) and flood your life today.

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Gift of a Thirsty Soul

The image I am sharing with you this morning is one that was taken in our yard in Idaho about 15+ years ago. It had been a dry Spring and Summer. The natural springs and ponds were very low and some were dry. We lived in an area called the Rimrock north of Coeur d’Alene. It was a Saturday and we were all in the living room when the dogs started their low growl, you know, the one that means something’s up and they didn’t like it. Our living room southern wall was all windows. When we looked out this is what we saw.

A cow moose had brought her twin calves up to rest in the shade and she found water. They stood there was a while just letting the sprinkler hit them in the face and then she knelt down and wrapped her lips over the sprinkler head and just sucked up the water. I had never seen anything like it before or since. Her thirst was overwhelming. She needed the life giving water and would take it from whatever source was available. We had just been telling that sorry to some folks visiting in our home yesterday and here was the picture today.

This is the picture I see when I think of the Bible verse found in Psalms

“As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God. 2 In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face?” Psalm 42:1-2 CEV

I’m sure you know that the human body can go longer without food than it can without water. Since our bodies are about 70% water, it is vitality important that we stay hydrated in order to be healthy. No, I’m not going into a teaching on health and nutrition. Just stating the facts. But it is important that we stay hydrated spiritually too.

“I remember to think about the many things you did in years gone by. 6 Then I lift my hands in prayer, because my soul is a desert, thirsty for water from you. 7 Please hurry, Lord, and answer my prayer. I feel hopeless. Don’t turn away and leave me here to die. Psalms 143:5-7 CEV

Have you ever felt that hopeless? Felt like you were completely dry on the inside and had nothing left to give? When it happens we become prey to thoughts of depression, loneliness, hopelessness. We need to have our souls watered – words of encouragement, comfort, kindness, love bring new life and hope back to our hearts.

“All you people who are thirsty, come! Here is water for you to drink. Don’t worry if you have no money. Come, eat and drink until you are full! You don’t need money. The milk and wine are free.
2 Why waste your money on something that is not real food? Why should you work for something that does not really satisfy you? Listen closely to me and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the food that satisfies your soul. 3 Listen closely to what I say. Listen to me so that you will live. I will make an agreement with you that will last forever. It will be an agreement you can trust, like the one I made with David— a promise to love him and be loyal to him forever.” Isaiah 55:1-3 CEV

Over and over again throughout the Bible we see the reference that coming to the Lord, trusting Him is like receiving life giving water. Jesus told people he was the bread of life. By coming to Him they would find food that sustains, spiritual food, and water that will quench their thirst, soul refreshing.

“Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty. 36 I told you before that you have seen me, and still you don’t believe. 37 The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me. I will always accept them. 38 I came down from heaven to do what God wants, not what I want.” John 6:35-38 ERV

Now I could tell you that there are many around us that are parched, badly in need of water and that’s true but I get the feeling this morning that some who are reading this are the ones who are parched. You feel dry and used up and just don’t know how much longer things can go on like this. I’ve been there!

Let me share one last very familiar group of verses with you.

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. 2 You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3 and you refresh my life.” Psalm 23:1-3 CEV

When we come to the Lord he takes care of us like a good shepherd takes care of his sheep. He brings us to good pastures so we can eat and rest and He will refresh our souls just like water from a peaceful stream.

Thank you Lord for the gift of a thirsty soul because you give us life giving water.

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The Gift of Selflessness

A few days ago I told you about the books that I keep on my coffee table at Christmas. This morning I want to share with you the one that started the Christmas collection. The story was shared in the December issue of Arizona Highways magazine in 1973. It’s called The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. I have no idea how many times it has been printed and the cover has changed over the years but the message is the same.

The story in a nutshell – is a selfish giant walls his beautiful garden so that children can’t come in and play. As a result the garden remains in a state of winter all year round and the giant becomes grumpier with each passing of the months. Then one day in the corner of his garden he notices that the birds are singing and the trees are green…the children found a break in the wall and came in to play. The giant is so glad to see them that he runs out to welcome them.

All the children see the giant running in their direction and scurry out of the garden. All except one little boy who doesn’t see the giant coming because he his eyes were filled with tears. You see he was too small to climb up in the tree and it made him so sad. The giant lifted the little boy into the tree and the little boy rewarded him with a hug and kiss.

On that day, the giant broke down the wall and the children were welcomed in. The children came to play with the giant in the garden but the little boy whom the giant had loved was never seen again and no one really knew who he was or where he lived. Years passed, the seasons came and went and the giant became old and feeble and each day he looked for the little boy.

One winter’s morning, in the far corner of the garden the giant saw a tree covered in blossoms and beneath it stood the little boy, the giant could barely believe it eyes. He ran to the boy and as he got close to him the giant’s face filled with anger. He could see that in the boy’s hands and feet were the prints of nails. “Who wounded you, I will slay them he shouted.” But the child told him “No, these are wounds of love”. And then the child said “You let me play in your garden once and today you shall come with me to my garden, Paradise.”

The giant gave love freely to one small child and it changed his life forever. We are all like that giant at one point, walls were built to keep others out. What actually happens with those emotional walls is they imprison us. We decide not to be hurt or inconvenienced but we also keep ourselves from loving and being present in the lives around us.

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” John 13:34-35 ERV

The command Jesus gave us was one to love. It’s not a suggestion or even a good idea. It’s a command! And like any command given by a ranking officer the command has a purpose. In this case the purpose is so that “all” – A L L will know that we are his followers. God gets glory when we walk in love towards others. Jesus loves (present tense) unconditionally. He loves us on our good days and the bad. He loves us through our failures and in our successes. Plain and simple He loves us!

Today, we can share God’s love with someone and it will not only change their life but ours as well.

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