WWJD?

With the Christmas holiday approaching, we are all trying to figure out when to have celebrations, dinners, parties, etc. There are many decisions to be made. What kind of food will be served? Which social circles and family members will be invited to each gathering? Christmas is special, and time where we all tend to spend with those closest to us.

It is the most celebrated holiday of the year. The birth of Jesus is a pretty big event to be celebrating! Each year, my family has Christmas Eve dinner and then goes to our church’s candlelight service. I really enjoy the service. It is a time where I reflect how blessed I am and am filled with thankfulness.

However, each year Christmas Eve, more than any day of the year, is the hardest for me. I am a bundle of mixed emotions. I find myself standing in the candlelight overwhelmed with thanksgiving for the gift of the Savior’s birth and all the blessings I have been given that year. There is also an overwhelming weight on my shoulders as well though. I can’t stop thinking about all the children I have met that are in orphanages. There are so many. Their faces flash before me. They are alone…cold…and sad. It feels like a knife in the heart.

Why am I here and they are there? Why do I get the blessing of a warm home and loving family and they don’t? Why do I stand and celebrate with a full stomach and gifts under the tree? They have nothing. As I light my candle this year, I will do it in honor of all those blessings I have received: Good Health, Provision, Family, Friends, loved ones, and salvation. I will also light it in honor of and in prayer for those precious children who sit and wait all year for a family. Those ones who on Christmas morning will be looking out a frosty window pain longing for a loving mother to wrap their arms around them so tightly the love just pours from her heart to theirs. That is what they want for Christmas. Instead, they will wake up on Christmas morning and realize it’s just another ordinary day. A day of waiting, dreaming, and begging for food.

What will they do at Christmas? What will the least of these in our own backyard do? What would Jesus do?

In Luke (14 12-14) we are told that Jesus said, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

I have found this to be very convicting when it comes to our celebrations for the holidays. Let’s face it, how often do any of us invite the least of these to our sacred celebrations. We ARE celebrating the birth of Christ, right? Who else do you think He would want us to celebrate with? He DID tell us when we care for the least of these, we are caring for Him. So why just invite our friends and family to our celebrations?? He came here to show us how to live, how to love, and how to get to heaven. What better way to honor Him on his birthday than to celebrate with those closest to His heart..the least of these.

After learning of the large population of African Refugees in the Quad City area, we decided to invite a Refugee family to our Christmas Eve celebration. These refugees, many who came here with only the clothes on their backs, have been through so much. They are so thankful to be here and to be safe. They have so little and are in such need for basic things. One young man from the Congo told me that he is so thankful to be here because when he walks down the street, he no longer fears being shot to death. Some have watched their entire villages and families be shot and killed in tribal violence. One woman came here with bullets embedded in her legs from running from the rebel attackers. Instead of complaining, they give thanks for just being here and being alive.

And to think, some have nowhere to go for Christmas. Some have no food in the cupboards to feed their families. They are here, and are in need of family…brothers and sisters in Christ. So, my family is going to do something a little different this year. We are inviting one of those families into our home to celebrate together. I encourage you to do the same. If you are interested, let me know and I can get you some information. If you aren’t from the QC area, I encourage you to do something similar wherever you live. Maybe you have a neighbor who will be alone at Christmas. Maybe you know of a family in your community that could use a little light in their world this holiday. I encourage you to re-read that verse above. Pray about it and see how the Lord prompts you to respond. Try something new this year, and do exactly what He tells us to do in the message found in Luke.

Try it, enjoy, and let me know how it goes.