~Learn to RECEIVE~

Last year-Christmas 2017

As the Christmas season approaches, we think a lot about GIVING. As a Christian I know that God is the ultimate example of a GIVER, offering us His Son so that we might believe and be forgiven. The self-less message in the air this time of year reminds us to do the same: GIVE, GIVE, GIVE, which is all fine and well. Yet conversely, I feel the message of RECEIVING is just as important for us to hear at Christmastime. Read on, as I quote a passage from my book Mommy’s Inspirations, chapter 40, p. 119-120:

“Recently, we hit a time where we had more bills coming at us than we had income. It was stressful to feel somehow irresponsible despite our attempts to be careful with our money. We ended up having a lot of home repairs and unexpected expenses, and our decision was to sell one of our cars to cover all the extra costs. No sooner had we put our car up for sale online and found many interested buyers, than had someone in our family heard of our predicament and responded not with pity, but with a tenderhearted and generous response. Our family members decided God had put it on their hearts to cover the costs of all the expenses we had to cover. Do you know what it felt like? It was as if the weight of that burden had been completely taken off our shoulders and we had been set free. What did my husband and I do? We were overwhelmed with gratefulness and praise to God, and we simply said, ‘Thank you SO much.’ Sound familiar? It reminded me of how I felt when I first invited Christ to forgive my sins and be my Savior. He took away all the ugliness and wiped my past, present, and future sins with His blood and sacrifice. In our culture, it is not common to practice receiving. We always feel more comfortable being the ‘giver,’ maybe because it somehow feeds our pride and the conception we so desire for others to have of us being self-sufficient. Let’s not kid ourselves though. We are all needy people at times, and the sooner we can learn to receive well and gracefully, the sooner we will be able to be an example of Christ in all His humility.”

Yes, God gave us Jesus Christ, the “magic” in Christmas, the miracle of a God-baby born to the Jewish nation in the tiny village of Bethlehem. THE KING OF KINGS took on flesh and lived among us! However, giving is only the beginning of this story; We then must choose to RECEIVE and “open” God’s sacred and free gift by accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord. It’s so simple, yet many miss it. We miss it. He needs to be RECEIVED by us, not just stay in an exquisitely wrapped box. Furthermore, THE GIFT is there for the taking, but will we choose to open it every day and enjoy Him? And share Him? Or ignore Him? Do you see it now? RECEIVING is VITAL. 

Dear friends, I tend to be the one sharing a lot on this blog, and I guess that is the point! However, I long to hear back from my readers; the main reason for this is because it creates relational intimacy, bridging the gap of my seemingly isolated writing with your circumstances and story. Yes, I too need to RECEIVE.

That being said, please comment below and share when you received a gift you knew you didn’t deserve or didn’t expect at Christmas or any time throughout the year. 

WE are TREES OF HOPE, so let us RECEIVE and SHINE JESUS this Christmas season and always!