Giving and Receiving

 

Dear friends,

            Fair weather was the word of the week. It is always a good feeling to have moderate temperatures in December. Many times there is deep snow and cold this time of year. My point is this; let’s enjoy mild weather while we can, and count every nice day as being one day closer to spring!

            Christmas is a time of giving. People everywhere are shopping for that perfect gift for family and friends. Well, except for the ones who are organized and have had their shopping done for months already. Christmas is also a time for receiving. Every gift given needs a recipient, and the transaction is not complete until the one receiving has accepted or taken the gift.

            Many years ago, our family had fallen on hard times. There were no funds to purchase Christmas gifts for our kids. I had shared this information with a friend in a conversation and a few days before Christmas, I got a phone call from him asking us to their house as they had something to tell us.

            We went to their place and after some small talk, he told us he and his wife had decided to give us a cash gift so that we could get some Christmas gifts for our boys. He handed me a check saying he and his wife had a little savings account and they were giving to us out of their savings. I have never forgotten that evening. We were in tears over their kindness and generosity.

            The gift was given, but only by receiving the gift would the blessing be complete. I could have said that’s nice, but only by reaching out and taking that check would we benefit from their generosity.

            John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In John 1:12 we read, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

            Did you get that? The gift was given, but only by receiving, or taking it will it be of any use to us. The gift from our friends was a picture of the message of Christmas. Salvation comes as a gift from God, but we must accept that gift.

 

In His love,

Pastor Jerry