WATCHWORD:
8 That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem! 12 How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,” they sang, “and peace on earth for all those pleasing him.” Luke 2:8-14
Meditation:
He Sent a Boat and Love
My partner and I drove into Chicago the other day to meet with family and friends for a joyous Christmas reunion dinner at an exquisite restaurant. The decision to “mask-up”, and place our confidence in the Lord and our vaccine shots, was made with an awareness of Covid scourge that is happening all around us, throughout our nation. I believe there was a degree of anxiety among all of us who gathered that day, awareness, but lots of love to bring us peace and joy.
Over the many months, we have coined several phrases. One that I hear most at this point in time is “mask fatigue”. We trust in the fact that nothing touches us that doesn’t pass through the hands of God. Yet, we are active parts of His divine plan, not just lumps waiting for Him to bail us out. In this morning’s newspaper, we read that emergency rooms everywhere are overloaded and the waiting time to see a doctor often stretches to 18 hours! It is shocking to know that nearly 99% of those waiting in the ER were those who had not gotten the vaccine. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Remember this little story?
There once was a man who lived in a two-story house. The house was near a river and unfortunately the river began to flood. As the river rose, warnings were given via radio, TV and shortwave. Large jeeps drove through the area to evacuate people. As a jeep drove by the man’s house, he was told: “You are in danger. Your life is at stake. You must evacuate. Get in the Jeep. Let us help you evacuate.”
“No,” the man replied from his doorstep. “I have faith. I will be ok. The flood won’t get me. God will take care of me.”
The water continued to rise. Soon the man was on the second floor. A boat was going through the area and arrived at the man’s house. Rescuers made every effort to convince the man to take action so that his life would be saved. “You are in danger. Your life is at stake. You will drown in the flood.”
“No worries,” says the man. “I have faith. Everything is ok. Even though the flood is rising, I will be fine. God will take care of me.”
The flood continued to rise. The man went to the roof to avoid the rising water. A helicopter pilot sees him on top of the roof and hovers above the man. Using a megaphone, the pilot tries to convince the man to grab the rope ladder which was dangling above his head. “You are in danger. The flood is still rising. You will drown if you do not grab the ladder. Let us help you.”
“No worries.” says the man. “I will be fine. Yes, the flood is higher but I have faith. God will take care of me.”
The flood rises. The man drowns. At the pearly gates, the man says to God: “I had faith. You let me die.”
To which God replies: “I sent you a jeep, a boat and a helicopter. What more could I have done for you?”
Maybe vaccine? Hmm. Our Creator God made us the way we are. He gave us the ability to think, and he gave us free well to make our own decisions. The catch in his divine plan for us is that big word consequences and that other gift He gave us, commonsense. There are consequences of actions that we had no control over, and I think about the tornado in Kentucky, a weather condition that we humans had a hand in making for centuries, and we pay a price. But, then, there are consequences of actions we have intentionally taken, apparently placing our commonsense on a back burner for when we really need it?! Each of us will pay a price.
Maybe we are on the other side of a crisis. We don’t have a boat, or a helicopter, but we do have other gifts and we may be called to use those gifts to help those who suffer. Maybe we could be the hand that lifts another out of despair?
That dinner gathering in Chicago? Family and friends supporting one another, expressing love in so many different ways. Was it just the celebration, or did we build one another up for a purpose we have yet to experience? I happen to think that all the gatherings that we have in the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, is the work of God, contained in His divine plan where are we are all participants. May God bless you, through the rest of this season and into the next year. Amen.
Help Wanted:
Santa needs new reindeer.
The first bunch has grown old.
Dasher has arthritis;
Comet hates the cold.
Prancer’s sick of staring
at Dancer’s big behind.
Cupid married Blitzen
and Donner lost his mind.
Dancer’s mad at Vixen
for stepping on his toes.
Vixen’s being thrown out—
she laughed at Rudolph’s nose.
If you are a reindeer
we hope you will apply.
There is just one tricky part:
You must know how to fly.
— Timothy Tocher
Closing Prayer:
Lord God, we adore you because you have come to us in the past.
You have spoken to us in the Law of Israel.
You have challenged us in the words of the prophets.
You have shown us in Jesus what you are really like.
Lord God, we adore you because you still come to us now.
You come to us through other people and their love and concern for us.
You come to us through men and women who need our help.
You come to us as we worship you with your people.
Lord God, we adore you because you will come to us at the end.
You will be with us at the hour of death.
You will still reign supreme when all human institutions fail.
You will still be God when our history has run its course.
We welcome you, the God who comes.
Come to us now in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
P.S.
Today’s Watchword is the 500th devotional written since March 21, 2020. We thought we would be free of the virus by now. Ah, yes, God’s timing may be different from ours. Do you suppose?
