Nothing to Give

"...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."      ~Romans 6:23

A few years ago, I was leading a family ministry on Saturday nights in our previous church. “Family Time Bible Study” engaged everyone from the rambunctious preschoolers to the more mature adults, because we all worked together to spontaneously act out dramatic Bible events. One such preschooler, Sam, was always eager to be “in on the action” and as Christmas approached, he was especially excitable. Not only would we act out the story of the Savior’s birth, but there would be a Christmas party to follow, and he knew that all the families were chipping in together to surprise me with a special gift. Knowing young Sam would struggle to keep a secret, his mother told him to pretend they had nothing to give me. A few days before our Christmas event, I ran into Sam, who looked up at me and loudly proclaimed, “Mrs. Burma, we have NOTHING for you!” His mom just shook her head and smiled.

The big night came, and we proclaimed the Christ child’s birth, “Family Time” style, our fragrant offering to the Lord that night. No one shouted the message or sang the songs louder than Sam. The families then produced a large gift for me, and Sam stood directly at my feet as I opened it, squinting his eyes and cocking his head from side to side curiously as he looked up at me. I squealed with delight as I unveiled a Kitchen Aid mixer! WOW! I was speechless, touched by the love and generosity of these brothers and sisters in Christ. But Sam just continued to stare up at me. With a look of disappointment on his face, finally he whispered, “My mom told me this gift would make you so happy that you would cry.” Sam hugged me and continued, “Why aren’t you crying?”

The tears fall now as I recount this special moment when one little guy had much more than “nothing” to give me. Sam gave me a far greater gift than my mixer. The same boy whose childlike faith enabled him to shout, “Joy to the World!” also allowed him to whisper those words of love to me. Wanting to give me something that would make me happy – so happy I would cry – was his greatest desire that night. Sam’s gift of love was also a fragrant offering before the Lord, as Sam “walked in love” toward me. ("Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ~Ephesians 5:1-2)

Sam - ready to celebrate Christmas!

While we may pretend that we have nothing to give others, we have, in fact, the greatest gift of all to share. The Child whose birth we celebrated that night - whose birth we prepare to celebrate once again this Holy Season - would grow up to be our Lord and our Savior. The very gift of God, given to us in Christ Jesus! As we give others the Good News of eternal life in Christ - as we “walk in love” - the sweet aroma of Christ is spread. A fragrant offering, indeed!

Distracted by All the Preparations

“Jesus and his disciples...came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to [Jesus] and asked, 'Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10:38-42

Tis the Season of Preparation... And we relate with Martha, don’t we? (I know I do.) She was busy making preparations. (Would you like to hear my list of Holiday Preparations? I'm guessing you have one that is somewhat similar.) She wanted only the best for her guests. And so do we! We want to make this coming Christmas, the celebration of The Birth of Christ, the best-one-ever for our loved ones. So, in these weeks of preparation - like Martha - we hurry about, allowing our hearts to become distracted by all the busyness.

I tell myself that my intentions are only the best. I attend the Advent services, the Christmas programs, the recitals. I decorate my home with reminders of the Savior's birth, cleaning and preparing for my guests. Even the gifts I give and the sentiment in the cards I send, share with each recipient the message that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Yes, I definitely want Christ at the center of my preparations...there is just so much to do! And I let all these good things distract me! I get so busy and stressed by it all, that I find myself grumbling, as Martha did: “Lord, don’t You care that I have all these preparations to make for Your Birthday?!  Won’t anyone help me?  Why do others seem to have peace and calm as they prepare for You to come, while I am busy doing all the work?”  I become worried and upset - distracted, as Martha was, by all the preparations to be made.

Jesus did not scold Martha for what she was doing. After all, her preparations, too, were for the Lord. Instead, Jesus gently reminded her what was better. Jesus tenderly redirects us as He did Martha. The world around us is shouting, “Prepare!  Prepare to buy presents & shop-till-you-drop!  Prepare the cards, the candies, and the creche; prepare for the parties and the programs!  And you MUSN’T forget ANYTHING!” 

Meanwhile, the Lord whispers, “Prepare!” And we cry, “But, Lord, I HAVE been making all these preparations!”  “I know, my child... but have you forgotten to prepare your heart for me this Holy Season? You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Place me first in your days, and all else will fall into place.” (Hmmm…do you think, perhaps, if I put Him first, that some of those all-important, must-do preparations won’t seem so urgent anymore?) 

The Christ Child will come…whether the guests who come to my house see it cleaned and decorated or not. The Babe in the manger will arrive, whether my Christmas cards arrive on time or not. The Greatest Gift of all will be delivered to me and to my family on Christmas eve, whether the presents are delivered or not. Will I miss it? Will I miss savoring the celebration of His birth for all of my well-intentioned preparations that have become my distractions?

We long, like Mary, to sit quietly at our Savior’s feet, hanging on to His every word. Mary’s heart was not distracted that day, but fully devoted to Christ. We are told Advent is the season of preparation. What is TRUE Advent Preparation? It is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming Christ! We hear the call of John The Baptist to repent:  “Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for Him!” (Matthew 3:3) 

As we prepare our hearts for the coming of the the long-awaited Messiah - Immanuel (God with us) - the Babe in the manger, we are also preparing for His triumphant return when He takes all believers HOME to be with Him in glory in the final resurrection!

How can we prepare? Much the way we would prepare our homes for an important guest. We would spare no effort to get everything in order for the occasion! For this most-important Guest, we reach into the furthest corners and bring out every bit of the dirt and filth - our sins. We cannot clean them on our own; by the Holy Spirit's leading, we lay them before our most-important Guest. We repent of our sins to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ Himself, whose death and resurrection saved us from these sins; who lovingly chose us as His very own. He washes us clean. He then gently leads us to sit at His feet, to do the "one thing needed" during this busy season: spend time in His Word and in prayer. And as we do, He takes all of our worries, cares, and distractions, and replaces them with trust, peace, and devotion. 

I pray for each of you, during this Holy Season of Preparation, that your hearts would not be distracted, but devoted to our Lord and Savior. By His strength at work in you, may you keep Christ at the center of your heart and the center of your activities as you prepare for Christmas. Place Him first; sit at His feet.