Keeping the Main Story the Main Story

“Let us remember the proclamation of the angel: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). May our hearts go out to the unconverted people…who have no blessed Christmas day, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord” (Nehemiah 8:10).by ~ Mrs. L.B. Cowman Streams in the Desert

Outside of telling the main story of the birth of Jesus there is more we can and need to do to reach the unconverted. The true unedited message of the baby is a simple one that seems to have gotten complicated over the years. Not because God has added to it or taken away from it but because of us. We seem to have created our own version of illiteracy by reading things into the story that are not even there. We do that with the entire Bible.

Some look at the story and see a baby that will grow up to be a dictator. They see something they can’t believe in and that is the virgin birth so they scrap the whole message. They figure because people can’t place the shepherds, wise men, or kings in the right place at the right time there must be something wrong. They see no need for a Savior in the first place so why this little tike.

It’s what happens after Christmas, after we have told the story that becomes the most important thing. It is here where we will reach the unconverted. The story doesn’t end with the babe in the manger that people need to know about it continues on all the way to Easter in our hearts. No not Easter in April but Easter in our hearts where true conviction and transformation takes place.

As quickly as the Christmas decorations go up they seem to come down just as fast. Nice and neatly or in my case crowded and deeply they are stored in the closet only to come out one year from now. In order to reach the unconverted Christmas needs to stay up in our hearts. It doesn’t belong in the closet of our heart wrapped in swaddling layers of dust and cobwebs only to come out one season a year.

People need to see the blessing that Christmas can be but the only way we can do that is to demonstrate it for them. It’s our job as Christians to join this fashion show and model Jesus, this babe in the manger up and down the run-ways of life for all to see. It begins at the manger and continues on with the reaching out to those around us sharing a meal, buying a gift for those who have nothing, and so much more. Once again we can’t stop when Christmas is over because it needs to continue on in all we do.

Maybe I’m crazy which I know I am, I wonder if it was a mistake years ago to declare Christmas a “holiday.” When they did they made it a seasonal event that was designated to come and go at a certain time and stay away one year in between. We can’t wait for people to come and visit the manger we need to bring the manger and Jesus to people year around.

As soon as this declared Holiday is over we need to stop and take a look at ourselves and ask, “Did I put away Jesus with the decorations or is He still garnishing the walls of my heart, mind, and soul.” As political correctness, selfishness, and spiritual blindness kills this Holiday we need to keep it alive in the lives that we lead. Let’s keep the main story the main story forever and ever for all to see and experience with us.


Our host today is Patricia dear who is trying to type and drink her coffee at the same time. Get on over there to her blog at Typing One-Handed and join her and the rest of us in sharing today’s quote.

Just a Little Bit More

December 9, 2008 IOW

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.” “Maybe Christmas… perhaps…means a “little” bit more.” By Dr. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Suess) from How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

With the hustle and bustle at Christmas time it’s easy to get caught in the flow of the downstream traffic. Our minds are on bargains instead of believing in Christ. We have decorations to put up instead of praises to God to lift up. Every party we attend requires us to bring our favorite Christmas goody instead of consuming and overindulging on the food the Spirit has to offer.

Hummmmmm….maybe, just maybe there is something more to Christmas than what we get from a store. I myself want to say….Well duh!......but sadly enough there are people out there that don’t understand that “little” bit more. They turn their backs on the reason we celebrate and the true meaning of Christmas gets buried, distorted, changed, or lost.

On Sunday my small class of 5-year-olds was asked to do a video that was going to be used for the Christmas Eve program. All they needed to do was answer a few simple questions and sing jingle bells for their audience. The question that was asked was, “what does Christmas mean to you.” The vote was unanimous. It was all about the presents they get and being with family. “What part does Jesus play?” they were asked. “I don’t know,” was their reply. From behind the camera the teacher (me) was whispering to the next kid in line to be video taped, “its Jesus birthday.”

Being kids who are new to the experience of church whose parents don’t attend, they had yet to learn the true meaning of Christmas. It is time for me to throw another birthday party for Jesus to teach them what the “little” bit more was all about, time to dig out the baby book.

What baby book? Jesus’ baby book I had started years ago with my 4th, 5th, and 6th grade class. Having difficulties getting their attention to listen to the story of Jesus’ birth one more time I had to do something different. To them the Christmas story was a drag, “yeah, yeah, yeah, we know what Christmas is about we’ve heard the story a million times. Its Jesus birth, now can we get to the presents and Christmas goodies!”

No! What we got to was a birthday party for Jesus one year and a baby shower the next December for Mary. We named what we thought His favorite toys were. The first tooth He got and the first one He lost. His first visitor He had and so much more. Class after class added to the book. When I thought there was no more that could added we always managed to come up with something a “little” bit more.

Christmas is what we make of it. We can never change what it’s all about, what changes is our focus and how we feel about it. Christ has come, the message remains the same. We are the ones responsible for focusing in on what needs to be instead of what we want it to be. I heard recently someone say that Christmas is celebrating our faith. Whatever faith that is doesn’t matter it’s a time of celebrating our faith. No! Time for another birthday party for Jesus because its Jesus we are celebrating and the “little” bit more He brings with Him.

The little bit more wrapped up in His peace, love, salvation, forgiveness, friendship, guidance, grace, companionship, and sovereignty. One of the boys in my class that was there with his brother showed me a dog bite scar on his leg and said that was his relationship with Jesus. Puzzled by his thinking I tried to bring myself down to his 8-year-old level. What do you mean? I asked. He told me he shared with Jesus about the time he was bit and that meant he had a relationship with Jesus. It’s the beginning Ben! It’s a part of the “little” bit more.

This Christmas don’t settle for the hustle and bustle. Settle for Jesus and the relationship that goes beyond December, crinkled up wrapping paper and seasonal decorations. A thing that filters into all areas of our lives as we watch the “little” bit more grow and grow into something bigger and BIGGER!

Happy Birthday Jesus,

Happy Birthday!

Copyright 2008 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing