Christmas in July

To: (fill in your name) 

““For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.”
‭‭JOHN‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭AMP‬‬ http://bible.com/1588/jhn.3.16-17.amp

Love, God

Merry Christmas

I was just going to simply leave it at this-

And Pray that God would open our eyes to the magnitude of the gift that He sent that First Christmas morning,

but then I was reminded of an incident that happened yesterday.

(I’m redigging  remember? So this was from right before Christmas)

Peyt and I were at the gas station, checking out, when I overheard the cashier start to desperately describe all of the reasons she was so stressed out this Christmas.

“I have no money for Christmas-“ Was one of the biggest things that caught my attention.

I told Peyt as we drove off, “I wish I could just give her My Christmas.”

Then, I was amazed at what wisdom came out of my eleven year old daughter.

“Or, you could just share what Christmas really means with her,” she said.

Maybe she didn’t know about the shepherds who came to Jesus, lowly as they were.

They had nothing to offer Him, but He had everything to offer them.

We’ve gotten things so backwards as far as the real meaning of Christmas is concerned. We’re stressed because we are trying to find and give that perfect gift, but Christmas is about the Perfect Gift that God gave to us.

*I see now, that this isn’t just at Christmas, but even for July, and every other day or month of the year.

This little thread in our life built on performance.

The Doing something to Be Loved mentality. Instead of realizing that the True Gift Gave first,  and never asks of us anything that He didn’t deposit.

The eternal Gift of God’s Love in Jesus keeps on Giving.

Through us.

He gives it to us, to let it flow through us.

Stress comes from going about giving another way.

Our own way.

I’m taking this home to my heart today.

I think Peyton spoke to my Christmas, more than she realized.

The True Gift of Christmas brought Peace on earth and Good will to those who would receive it.

I pray we choose that, Peace and God’s Good Will toward us, over the stress and chaos in the world around us,

that says we have to do something to be loved.

John said it simply as He often addressed the church….

BELOVED (BE-Loved) that’s not just a term of endearment , it’s an act of reception.

¶ Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3John 2

Merry Christmas