The Present

One present. Just one.

Of all the traditions my family had while I was growing up, there was one I always looked forward to. Each Christmas Eve we were allowed to open a single present from a family member. One present.

Of all the gifts under the tree I knew exactly which one I wanted to open. Wrapped neatly. About one an a half times the size of a deck of cards. From Great Aunt Katherine. She was so proper. Such a lady. Her gift must be really nice.

Other evening activities complete, it was time to open that alluring gift. As the wrapping came off, I read the contents as printed on the box: Male Grooming Kit. A male grooming kit?

Two sizes of nail trimmers. An emory board. A cuticle remover. A comb. And, a shoe horn. My new, male grooming kit. I was nine years old.

Life is like that, isn’t?

We’ve got our expectations. Our preconceived ideas. Our dreams. And then life… Life hands you a male grooming kit. Useful, perchance, but not what you hoped for. 

2020 has been a bit like that male grooming kit. Not the gift we’d have asked for or even welcomed, but it was the year we got. It was the present.

We might grieve the year we didn’t get. The cancelled plans. The disappointments. The special occasions missed. The inconvenience. The separation. The heartache.

But, what did we learn? What good came of all this bad? What hope from all this pain? What love amidst this mess? What has God been after within you through 2020?

God loves you. He works in you. Even if the present feels like a male grooming kit to a nine year old boy.

“For it is God who works within you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

— Philippians 2:13

Why a Baby?

An eternity changing announcement is made. Ever wonder what the angels thought?

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven...”

— Luke 2:13-15a

From verse 15 and following we follow the human story. As such, we miss the potential angelic wonder.

Imagine if Heaven had a locker room. Not unlike winning an athletic championship less the showers of champagne, the newly returned heavenly host are celebrating. They announced THE redemptive plan of God for humanity. They sung it out. They even got to freak out the shepherds. Then, through the tumult, one angel says to his buddy, “Hey, I gotta question.”

Shoot, buddy.

So, I’m just thinking. We went down. Sang some praise. Did it bigtime. Even if it was for just a few shepherds and not all our angelic brethren announcing it to all humanity, but that’s not my question.

Yeah, and?

Well, I’m thinking. God, He can do anything He wants, right? I know that.

Right, yes.

Then why is it—I mean, I don’t want it to seem like I’m second-guessing God, but why—why is it that He did it this way?

What do you mean, “this way”? You got a better way?

Well, yeah, right. I know I’m just an angel. And I know He is God, but it seems to me that if you wanted to redeem humanity—I know God loves them and longs to save them from themselves—that you might do something other than a baby. I mean, why a baby?

“Why a baby?,” what do you mean?

The baby, well, he is the prophesied Messiah, that is clear. He’s got a great name—Jesus, that is “God saves”—but I’m just worried that, I mean, he’s a baby! Dude. So much can go wrong. What if he dies young? What if his parents—they seem like nice folks and all—but what if they screw him up? Or what if, what if he chooses another path, decides he doesn’t like the whole God’s Son on Earth gig? What if?

You know, what? You’re right. That baby is helpless, vulnerable, and lots can go wrong. It seems crazy. There is a lot about it I don’t know. We angels, we followed the game plan—appear, make it big time, praise and sing—and, man, we executed it flawlessly. It was awesome. We did our part. There is a lot about it I don’t know, but here is what I do know: God never makes mistakes; God always has a reason.

So you’re saying God has a reason that He wants to seal the deal for humanity’s redemption beginning with a baby?

Exactly. God never makes mistakes. God always has a reason. He is sovereign. It’s His will. It’s His way. He’s big enough for us to question Him, but we don’t get any say in the final call. It’s all God. So, what I’m thinking is that God has a reason for sending His son as a baby. Think about what that reason might be and learn something. Something about God. Something about how He made people. Something that He knows how best to reach them. God, as a human, gone to earth a baby. God born of flesh that He might die a sacrifice for humanity’s sin. The confounding choice. The amazing humility. The incredible condescension. The tremendous compassion. The supernatural love. 

You’re right. Coming to humanity as baby says something about God; it also says something about how humanity should come to Him. Why a baby? Why any other way?

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No Limits

What is it about love?

You think you can't love a person any more.

And then you do.

They do something.

They say something.

A good something.

Even a heartbreaking something.

And then you love them more.

Or maybe.

You think something.

You feel something.

Something only within you.

And then you love them more.

What is it about love?

I have a guess.

Love knows no limits.

More Than Too Much

You do not meet John Mark.

You experience him.

He's the silly one.  On the left.

My son.  Almost five.

Wants a daily wrestle with Dad.

Hugs his siblings hard enough to make 'em beg.

Too raucous for his Mama sometimes.  I get the earful.

The boy is rough as a corncob.

Guaranteed 100% cob action.

He plays hard.

But.

He loves hard too.

The tenderest lionheart you'd ever meet.

And in those moments he says things that make you love him even more.

Said to his Mama recently, "Sometimes I love you too much, Mama. God loves me even more than that. Right?"

"Yes, God loves you even more than that," she replied.

I love my boy.  My love can't compare however.

God loves me - and you - more.

I pray you know that love & feel it right now.  If not, drop me a note.  Let me pray for you.  Let me tell you how. God loves you.

More than too much.

Again

Mary Elizabeth is a kindergartner now. It's still hard to believe as I watch her little pigtails bob while walking into school holding hands with a friend each morning. She loves it. She's thriving.

John Mark, however, has a new experience too: Lots of time alone with Mama & Daddy. As the third of three children, that time may have been limited before, but he's embraced it in his linebacker way. He loves it. He's thriving. 

He came up—unsolicited—and put his arms around his Mama this week & said, "Ah luh yew vey-ree much, Mama."

"Thank you. I love you too," Melanie replied while giving him a hug. 

He pulled away a bit, then pulled in tight patting her on the back & said, "Ah luh yew 'gehn." 

I love you... again. 

John Mark never stopped loving his Mama. He simply said it again.

How often do I need a love that never stopped?

How refreshing is it when that love is spoken... again?

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!—1 John 3:1 

Again. And again. And again.