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Monday, October 20, 2014

Testimony: A Thanksgiving Christmas

          For a Bah-humbug person like me, thinking of Christmas so soon after Thanksgiving does not make any sense at all. Except that, in an out-of-character burst of planning-ahead, I suddenly felt the need to be fully prepared to tell people about the Christ of Christmas. The fact is, no matter what anyone thinks of the Christmas season, Jesus is the “Christ” who gives meaning to life.
          It all began with my morning prayer-journaling through the word of God. Whatever it was I started with, I soon found myself feeling a sense of desperation to take every opportunity to tell people about Jesus. Once that first thought hit, the rest came in phases, like a light bulb becoming brighter as the dimmer-switch turned from one setting to the next.[1]
          Soon into this prayerful interaction with God, I thought about how to make a personal Christmas card that my wife and I could send out with a summary explanation of the gospel, Christmas-style. We know enough people that there had to be some way to make the most of the upcoming opportunities.
          From that consideration, I realized that whatever I wanted to write briefly in a Christmas card could easily be turned into a Christmas tract that our home church could use as God gives opportunity. I have done this before on other themes and topics, so this was an exciting idea to imagine where I could go with this.
          Expanding from a Christmas card to a Christmas tract built the momentum so that I realized this had wonderful potential for Pings, Pongs,[2] and Ponderings, perhaps in a whole series of Joy-to-the-World messages. There is certainly enough joy to share all throughout the year, and, with all the joyless things going on in the world, who knows how much the joy of Jesus will need to be shared by the time Christmas really does roll around.
          Which, of course, leads to the possibility of an ebooklet that would serve one purpose, while giving a link that could be included in a Christmas card or tract. Even though I have no experience in this department, the thought of sharing this good news even further than my present social circle seems rather exciting. There is even room to develop the same good news about Christmas into an ebook for children, and one for an older readership. Sounds wonderful.
          So, yes, that is what happens to me some mornings. While my time with God is sometimes mostly about what God is giving me through his word as I abide in him, there are other times when it is mostly about passing on what I have been given in the hope that others will benefit for their joy.
          I do not know what will come of this. I may find that my childish enthusiasm for good ideas got the best of me and God has to tweak my mind until mine and his are on the same page, so to speak. Or I may find that my childlike desire to tell people about my big Brother is something God is working in me "both to will and to work for his good pleasure."[3]
          What I know for sure is that, there is so much good news to share, that it isn’t that strange at all that our recent Thanksgiving weekend would propel my thoughts into the upcoming Christmas season. It isn’t really about the holidays and seasons that come and go. It’s all about Jesus. After all, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”[4] Christmas is just a good time to tell people about this light, and that means finding as many ways as possible to let my lil’ ol’ light shine.
          “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!”[5]

© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, Canada, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)









[1] It’s still called a dimmer-switch even when using it in reverse to brighten the room!
[2] My wife’s affectionate term for my Pings (Plus).
[3] Philippians 2:12-14
[4] John 1:4
[5] © Public Domain, Joy to the World, pub.1719, Isaac Watts

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