Christmas is just two days from today. This is my fourth Christmas blog post so I was wondering what I could possibly write about this time that I haven’t already covered. As usual, God gave me an unexpected topic this holiday season.
My brother-in-law and his wife, who live 300 miles from me now, sent me a very special package this year. Like an eager schoolboy, I couldn’t wait until Christmas to open it. Inside were three quart jars of authentic southern Indiana Bar-B-Q pork. The thinly sliced medallions of hickory smoked pork were packed in a special Bar-B-Q sauce. I sent him a text thanking him and he sent back a warning not to eat it all before Christmas. I told him I would try and two of the jars will survive past Christmas. The smell of it heating up and the taste of it took me back to my childhood and special family meals at our favorite Bar-B-Q restaurant in Evansville, Indiana, where I could never get myself to order anything else but their pork sandwich with onion and dill pickles. This time I piled it on two slices of bread so I could eat more of it than I could get on a sandwich. I still had enough for three meals over this past weekend. What a wonderful gift of food and memories!
There are two points I want to share with you. The first is; our five senses lead directly to our mind. Smell and taste brought back fond memories for me over the weekend; so does hearing a favorite song or looking at old photos. Even touch can trigger a special reaction. A group of church ladies gave my wife a prayer blanket while she was recovering from hip surgery. She loved it and now I sleep under it every night. The warm feel of that light blanket with tassels around the edges makes me feel close to Carol even though it has been six years since she was called home ahead of me. All of that is good, but we must also guard our senses from things that trigger bad memories or temptations. The enemy loves to use our senses to dredge up the sins, mistakes, regrets and sorrows of our past. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is there to remind us that we don’t need to relive those negative memories. Jesus paid the price for us and we are set free from them through His mercy and grace. Case closed! Move on!
My second point is more appropriate for the season. Christmas is the only birthday party I know where everyone gets a gift except the Birthday Boy. After all, what could you possibly give the King of Kings and Lord of all? Let me give you a clue. (Matthew 25:40) “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Jesus commands us to love others as He loves us. (John 13:34) So, when we give a gift with love and not out of obligation, we are actually giving that gift to Him.
I pray your Christmas is merry and bright this year in spite of health concerns and restrictions.