A Christmas Prayer

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.  John 3:16

I have a special Christmas gift that I keep in a drawer in my house.  It is a simple letter I received from a lady over 18 years ago but it is special to me and I get the letter out a few times a year to read, especially at Christmas. The church my family and I attended at the time would deliver gift baskets during Christmas to the elderly members of our church who could no longer attend the services.  I volunteered to deliver a basket to an elderly member named Mrs. Dunlap.  She had been a long time member of our church but had not been able to attend for several years due to health problems. She lived on the other side of town so  my five year old son, William, and I drove to her house on a Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Dunlap lived by herself and I could immediately sense that she was a very sweet lady but was very lonely. We talked for a few minutes and I asked if I could say a short prayer for her. After I prayed for her she asked me if I could wait a few minutes because she had something to give to me. She did not know I was coming to her house on this day so I wondered what she could possibly have for me.  She went to her bedroom for a few minutes while William and I waited in the living room. She was gone for about ten minutes and returned with a letter for us. She had quickly written a short note on a piece of notebook paper that included a few verses, a thank you, and a Christmas Prayer. Her letter said that William and I had been a blessing to her and she thanked me for the prayer for her. I get the letter out a couple of times a year and read her words and the Christmas Prayer. I never saw Mrs. Dunlap again after this day and I am sure that she is enjoying eternity with her Heavenly Father and is certainly not lonely this Christmas. I have received many Christmas gifts over my lifetime but I have always kept her letter as one of the special gifts. Mrs. Dunlap had nothing of value that she could give to us but she took the time to write a very special note to thank us for making the effort to visit her. I think I will always keep the letter from an obviously very sweet, Christian lady. The food and supplies that we delivered to her certainly did not last as long as the small piece of paper on which she wrote her note. I have included the Christmas Prayer below that Mrs. Dunlap wrote for me and William.  I pray that you will read it and be reminded of the birth of our Savior.  I also hope you receive many gifts this Christmas that are as special as my letter from Mrs. Dunlap.  Merry Christmas!

Chad

A Christmas Prayer
Let the night be filled with music from angels bending low, 
For His star adorns us in the heavens, and warms us with its glow, 
Let the night be filled with wonder as we praise the Lord above,
For we serve a Risen Savior who fills us with His love,
Let the night be filled with praises, let miracles abound, 
For the hope of generations is in the Christ Child found.

"Pondered them in her heart"

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

Each Christmas we hear the story of the birth of Jesus but this year the words from Luke 2:19 have stuck in my head. It is an amazing story of our Savior’s birth but when you think about his mother, Mary, it is even more amazing. Many bible scholars believe she was only 15-16 years old at the time of Jesus’ birth and she was not married to Joseph at the time of her pregnancy. Can you imagine what her life had been like for the past nine months? In Luke 1, Mary is visited by an angel and she is told she will give birth to a child and His name will be Jesus and He will be the Son of God. In Luke 1:38 Mary says, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” Can you imagine the thoughts that were going through her head? She had been chosen by God to deliver His only Son into the world but she also knew the cost of being found pregnant and unmarried. What amazing faith she had for such a young person. I am sure she had worries but she simply said, I am the Lord’s servant and may your word to me be fulfilled. On the night of Jesus’ birth, Mary had made a long journey to Bethlehem and was preparing herself for the painful birth of a child. As the night progressed and Jesus was born, she witnessed the entire plan God had for her life. As I think more about Mary and the incredible story, I am always reminded that God chose Mary to be the earthly mother of His Only Son, but He had not made everything comfortable for her. She had traveled by donkey only to find no place to deliver her child. She had delivered her baby in what was most likely a cave and placed him in a feeding trough. Probably not exactly how she had imagined this event since the time of the angel’s visit. Mary had been chosen by God, at a young age, to not only give birth to the Son of God but to also be His earthly mother. She would care for his needs as a child, console him when he cried, and teach him. On the night of Jesus’ birth, as the events unfolded as the angel had told her, the bible says, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” She had been chosen by God and was obedient to Him. We do not know of the many difficulties she experienced as she followed God’s direction for her life but we can learn from her faith. She had been given a difficult task but she was obedient and had faith that every detail had been carefully planned by God. As she saw the plan unfold, she treasured the experiences and pondered each in her heart.

The story of Mary and her obedience makes me question whether I have the same level of faith. If God gives me a task, a place to go, or a change in my life do I have enough faith to trust him and marvel as He works the plan out in my life. Or, will I doubt at the first sign of trouble or inconvenience? Would I give up if the plan did not go as I had imagined in my own head? I think the lesson I can learn from Mary is to simply be God’s servant and to be willing when He asks. I can also learn from Mary to treasure the events in my life that He leads and ponder them in my heart. As I think over my life, I can see how God’s hand was on my life as he pushed me toward some areas, protected me from many others, and placed me where He wants me. I should also treasure these miracles and ponder what He has done for me daily.

Chad

Finish First

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24

The week of preparation for the State Championship Game is one of the most exciting weeks of the season but I am glad it only happens once a year. Along with preparing the team for the game, there are bus lists, travel lists, room lists, and equipment lists. I even have a list of lists! As a coach, I know that I must get as many items completed early so, as the game gets closer, I can concentrate on my team and the game. The boys never quite understand the need to prepare so far in advance. In their mind, the game is far away but, for a coach, the game is always just a day away. We have talked to them about how far they have come since the beginning of off-season workouts and it would be a shame to not finish well. We also have talked to the team about not only finishing the season but, finishing first. Unfortunately, in athletics the team that finishes first is remembered in the record books but the team that finishes second is quickly forgotten. It has always been a little sad to me that one team will walk off the field after a championship game as the loser. Each team will have overcome many adversities to reach the final game and many sacrifices have been made to reach the championship but only one can finish first. The winner will remember the plays that only narrowly went in their favor while the loser will think about how close they were to a different outcome. The winning locker room will be full of singing, dancing, loud music, and hugs. The losing locker room will be somber with no songs or dancing. Each team will return to their schools the following day but one will be congratulated while the other will be constantly reminded of the loss. I have been blessed to be in both locker rooms during my coaching career and certainly prefer to be in the one with the team that finishes first.

After our game tomorrow night, one team will finish first and the other will finish second. Both teams have earned the right to play in the game, will have prepared for many hours, and have many more similarities than differences. Each team will be deserving of being called a champion but only one can finish first. On the field of competition only one team can finish first in the championship game but in our Christian walk we can all finish first. One day we will enter into His Kingdom and, although others are already there, we will also finish first. Each of us as a believer will finish first. There will be no runner up trophies, no condolences, and I even imagine there will be singing, dancing, and hugs. We will have all competed in the championship game and, at the end, we will all Finish First!

Chad