The Present of Presence
Dear Your Refreshed Life Friends,
Linda and I wish you all the blessings of Christ in your life at Christmas!! With joyful anticipation we are reminded of the three kings (magi or wisemen) who traveled so far, following the shining star in the sky to worship the newborn King. While the Bible does not mention exactly how far they travelled, there is much speculation that they came from Mesopotamia, approximately 400-700 miles away.
While we did not travel by camels or that distance, we traveled east by Frontier airlines last week (our worst travel experience ever!) from Colorado to Maryland. We are visiting my mother and then traveling to see friends in Virginia and finally be with our children and grandchildren for Christmas.
Christmas reminds us that the greatest present is the Presence of Jesus. He came as an infant to disrupt our lives and the world and for this we truly rejoice! We love this verse, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
While Santa Claus, candy canes, and toys are well and fine, the true meaning of Christmas is the message that Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin so we could share life with Him now and for eternity. Christmas is a wonderful time to introduce Christ to those who don’t know the meaning of the season. God gave me the privilege of sharing this on the plane this week.
When we boarded in Denver, I enjoyed an empty seat next to me as I sat on the aisle. Since I had prayed for the empty seat (so I would have more room), I thought maybe this would allow for a divine appointment. And it did! I had an amazing 30,000-foot opportunity to share the Presence of Christmas with a young man who didn’t know this eternal truth.
He shared in an opening comment, “I hate Utah and Mormons.” I asked “Why?” and the divine conversation began! It turns out that he is the only non-Mormon in his family and had just quit college in Utah. These comments gave me the perfect opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and bring the presence of Jesus into his life.
There are all kinds of ways to open spiritual conversations with people we encounter. If you pray for these openings and the words to say, watch what happens. And Christmas is the perfect opportunity! What better gift than to share God’s plan for salvation, to free us from sin and death so we can fulfill His unique purpose for each of our lives! It is a Christmas Present greater than any other!
Merry Christmas!
