Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas, something for nothing.

Just last weekend we had a Christmas Open House. We hosted an open house like this a few years ago when we were in our house in town.  Both parties were great, in that we had many friends come. This last party though was in this home, this home that we remember every day is a gift, built by God.


Keith and I discussed the pure joy of having our friends come and share their time with us. We were overwhelmed by their kindness and their compliments on our home.  I am so humbled when people come  and compliment my home.  Many seem in awe of it, funny thing, we are too. I am truly amazed that I have all of this, I do not think I respond correctly, I know full well this house and all that we have is straight from God.  I want to give God credit for all of this. Yet when I say things like "Couldn't have done it with out God." Or "We did work, but God gave us everything to get it done." I feel like I am either freakin people out like I am some kind of 'Holy Roller'.  Or I am being ungracious to the praiser for not accepting the full responsibility of the praise OR the worst,...What if my saying "God blessed us with this, all of this, the work, the time, the funds, the energy..", causes someone to think 'Well he didn't do that for me.' I want to let everyone know how grateful we are, yet I don't want to seem proud, in the haughty way. .  .  Keith and I both want so to always give God credit for all of this, because we KNOW with out God, this would not exist.  In worldly reality it should not.


So many miracles, yes, miracles are involved in the building of our house.  God incidences.
The market rising so that we made an almost double profit on our house that we only lived in for 4 years.
This land we found, after many other 'that's it' acres being 'lost'.  The man we bought from, died just a month after we found him and purchased from him. Each person we hired to do a job, seemed a God appointment. Our marriage surviving  building our home, daily for 1 year and living in a very small travel trailer. The rock, the water, the deals on furniture, the price of steel, the trusses, it goes on and on.


We know that more wonderful than the house are our friends.  In crisis and celebration we have had our friends to share with, some would bring a meal or give a shoulder to cry on or a laugh and a good time.  We would reciprocate in the same way, because we are good people, too. When we built this house, our friends went beyond what we expected from anyone.  We had people here to hook up electric and put our roof on. We would have someone ask how is it going, we would explain something we were working on and a day later people would show up to help. And they got NOTHING from it, except  blisters.  We can never ever repay those that showed up and climbed up on the roof, on Sunday afternoons. Having the work done ends up being an added bonus to our finding out the true meaning of friendship. Seriously, why would anyone desire to come and do something for someone else without expecting anything in return?


In the light of this season, I think of  the reason for, Jesus' birth in this world. Jesus too, is a something for nothing.  Jesus, God, received absolutely nothing for coming to us, except pain. Oh yeah, and those that believe in the miracle of Jesus, God 'gets' us.
 Like he really NEEDS us.
We can do absolutely nothing for God, he does not need us to survive. He will live forever with or without us.  We on the other hand received everything.  We have been forgiven for every horrendous, stupid sin we will ever commit AND we get to live eternally in a perfect world with God as our Light. Why? So God can have us near him? Because God needs us? God desires us? I don't think so.  There is truly not one thing we can fulfill for God, yet he desired to die for us.  God desired to come to this world and take up residence in a tiny frail human body. A body that was not super natural, not super strong, not super good looking. Just a plain ol body, subject to pain and illness. The body of a child whose parents were not very 'well off'.   God desired to be raised by human parents, who were not of royalty, they were very common. God desired to live in this world not as a wealthy man, having all the comforts of this world, but as a poor man, he did not have a real home of his own. God had no wife, no children. God had no person to love him 'for who he was'.  Actually, God was hated for who he was. God did not give into temptation of power, and riches. God did not protect his human body from harm. He did not, does not, make others love him and accept him.


What did God 'get' by coming as Jesus one cold winters night? What did that being born 'get' him?
Rejection, persecution, a painful agonizing death of body and then all of our sins dumped on him and then complete separation from the only good that ever exists, God, himself. Being born got him our death. Seriously, why would anyone desire to come and do something for someone else without expecting anything in return? Not because we deserved anything. Not because he needs anything from us, in return. JUST because he loves us.






So here I am this year, blessed with my undeserved home, husband, children, grandchildren, family friends, life here and eternally. Humbled by his grace and love.  I am small and insignificant and completely undeserving, yet God the creator of all things, came and died and took my sins just so I could live eternally with him....
Merry Christmas and thanks, God.