The other day, I was on the bus on my way to my French lesson and I ended up having a very interesting conversation with a man on the bus. It started with small talk in French about my reusable bag that folds into a pocket. (It's pretty handy, never knew it would be a conversation starter!) He was curious about where I got this bag because he had never seen anything like it. I offered my answers as best I could, then he realized that French wasn't my first language. He asked me "what's your language?" and I told him English and he switched to English just like that.
He asked me where I was from. He got a little excited when I said I was from San Diego. He said that was his favorite city that he had been to in California. He said he had visited San Francisco and Los Angeles as well and still called San Diego the best. (I was a little proud of that) So then the conversation goes along the normal questions that I get: Why are you here? Why Quebec? Do you like the city? Do you want to stay? Good luck with learning French!
It was all good harmless talk until I said what I do. I told him "I work for a church that creates English programs for people to practice their English." "A church?!" he asks me, cringing a little at the word "church." He goes on to explain how he doesn't believe in God and continues into his own monologue filled with hate about why he doesn't believe in God.
This is a paraphrase of our conversation:
"I don't believe in God. I tried all that religious stuff once, being good and going to church all the time. But it doesn't work. What the church teaches you is crap and doesn't work. How can a god who is all good and perfect let all the bad things that happen in world happen? I think he just likes to watch us sit here and be tormented and punished by all the bad things that happen to us. He doesn't want to listen to us. I used to pray to God, but now I pray to Mickey Mouse."
"Really?" I ask in disbelief
"Yeah! Because I have the same chance of getting my prayers answered when praying to Mickey Mouse as I do when praying to God. Its a 50-50 chance. I have a 50% chance of getting my prayers answered or not no matter who I pray to. The church is wrong. The church will tell you that God loves you and that he will answer your prayers. No, that is wrong! God only loves you if you obey everything he tells you. You need to follow all of his ten laws and keep them perfect. But if you slip and mess just one - BAM! You are in trouble. He will beat you and torment you and send you to that fire they call Hell. So he really doesn't love you. He doesn't love us and the church is wrong."
My stop was coming up and I was about to get off, but I had to say one more thing before leaving him. So I said to him, "I believe God does love you because he sent his Son to die for us and to take that punishment for us."
"B.S.! Religion is full of crap and wrong!"
And that was the end of our conversation because I had to get off the bus at that moment. The only thing I could do was pray for him on that short walk to my tutor's house.
I have been told that this is the common response to religion here in Quebec: blind hatred. My tutor told me that some people have their reasons or rational thinking behind it, but most often people don't. They don't have a good reason other than they just hate it, the church, Christianity, religion, all of it. This man had obviously been through something to make him hate God that much. These people have been through a lot to get them where they are now. The best thing we can do for them now is to pray.
Please pray for that man. Please pray for the people of Quebec, that God will change their hearts and turn them toward Him. Pray and be thankful knowing that we do have a God that listens to our prayers.
Psalm 86:7 "In the day of trouble I will call upon you, for you answer me."
Matthew 21:22 "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."
1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."
Quebec City
Friday, April 3, 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015
My encounter with a Frenchman
A couple weeks ago I met a very interesting man while waiting for the bus. When you take the same bus system every day you start to see "regulars." You start recognizing someone by their coat or their face, even though you have never personally talked to them. Those that you have talked to stick out more and sometimes they will start up another conversation with you if they see you. But when someone you have never seen before starts talking to you, while waiting for the same bus, that is special. (To me at least.)
Picture this: You head out the door on a Saturday morning with plans to be busy most of the day. It is a little warmer outside, and the sun is shining brightly. (Usually here in Quebec, when the sun is shining it is a colder day. That has been somewhat of a depressing fact for me in the past because I come from sunny California where the sun is always warm. But today was a little different in that it was a little warmer than the past days had been, and you could feel a little of the warmth coming from the sun. I have learned to really appreciate a sunny day here.) You walk down the road to the bus stop hoping you haven't missed it. You are pretty sure you haven't though, because you are almost ten minutes early. The question now is if there will be people waiting there as well. (If there are, that is usually a good sign that you haven't missed the bus.) You turn the corner and the first thing that catches your eye is a man standing at the corner of the bus stop, wearing colonial garb. He honestly looks like he came out of a history book with his coat, boots, satchel, hat, and ponytail. He just looks more French.
You walk up to the bus stop and politely stand a few feet away form the man, but close enough to be able to see the bus when it comes. You stand there a few moments in silence as a few more people start coming to the bus stop and join in on the awkwardly standing around and trying to avoid talking or looking at anyone else. The Frenchman eventually turns to you and starts talking.
He explains that he on his way to a Founding Fathers celebration. A good amount of people in Quebec City can follow their family line all the way back to when the city was first started over 400 years ago. I think they celebrate this every year and have a booth in the local mall and everything. Some of them come dressed in period attire, this man certainly was. He started showing off his costume, talking about the material and whether it was warm enough or not for that day. I am sure he said more than that, but I couldn't understand it all.
But throughout this whole time, he has a huge smile on his face. He doesn't care that people are looking at him. At one point a bus drove past, it was not the one we were waiting for. As the bus turned the corner, the bus driver was blatantly staring at the man. Our friend here laughs out loud and waves at the bus driver as he goes past. He laughs making a comment about how shocked that driver must have been. We eventually get on our bus, but we are separated because he finds someone he personally knows on the bus. He starts talking with them and I take a seat farther away. But I couldn't help but watch him. He was so full of energy and laughter as he continued to explain his costume and why he was wearing it to his friends. If he caught someone staring, he would just start talking to them and explain his costume. He had an infectious joy and humor about the whole thing.
We both ended up getting off at the same stop and I watched him go with that big smile on his face. I honestly wanted to go back to the mall and see the booth before the end of the day, but my plans got changed and it ended up not happening. But his attitude and smile had brightened my day. The day seamed to be a lot more special because of that. It is quite interesting how one person's attitude can effect those around them. My brief encounter with this man in the morning had made my day. My hope now is that one day I will be able to do the same for someone else as he did for me.
Picture this: You head out the door on a Saturday morning with plans to be busy most of the day. It is a little warmer outside, and the sun is shining brightly. (Usually here in Quebec, when the sun is shining it is a colder day. That has been somewhat of a depressing fact for me in the past because I come from sunny California where the sun is always warm. But today was a little different in that it was a little warmer than the past days had been, and you could feel a little of the warmth coming from the sun. I have learned to really appreciate a sunny day here.) You walk down the road to the bus stop hoping you haven't missed it. You are pretty sure you haven't though, because you are almost ten minutes early. The question now is if there will be people waiting there as well. (If there are, that is usually a good sign that you haven't missed the bus.) You turn the corner and the first thing that catches your eye is a man standing at the corner of the bus stop, wearing colonial garb. He honestly looks like he came out of a history book with his coat, boots, satchel, hat, and ponytail. He just looks more French.
You walk up to the bus stop and politely stand a few feet away form the man, but close enough to be able to see the bus when it comes. You stand there a few moments in silence as a few more people start coming to the bus stop and join in on the awkwardly standing around and trying to avoid talking or looking at anyone else. The Frenchman eventually turns to you and starts talking.
He explains that he on his way to a Founding Fathers celebration. A good amount of people in Quebec City can follow their family line all the way back to when the city was first started over 400 years ago. I think they celebrate this every year and have a booth in the local mall and everything. Some of them come dressed in period attire, this man certainly was. He started showing off his costume, talking about the material and whether it was warm enough or not for that day. I am sure he said more than that, but I couldn't understand it all.
But throughout this whole time, he has a huge smile on his face. He doesn't care that people are looking at him. At one point a bus drove past, it was not the one we were waiting for. As the bus turned the corner, the bus driver was blatantly staring at the man. Our friend here laughs out loud and waves at the bus driver as he goes past. He laughs making a comment about how shocked that driver must have been. We eventually get on our bus, but we are separated because he finds someone he personally knows on the bus. He starts talking with them and I take a seat farther away. But I couldn't help but watch him. He was so full of energy and laughter as he continued to explain his costume and why he was wearing it to his friends. If he caught someone staring, he would just start talking to them and explain his costume. He had an infectious joy and humor about the whole thing.
We both ended up getting off at the same stop and I watched him go with that big smile on his face. I honestly wanted to go back to the mall and see the booth before the end of the day, but my plans got changed and it ended up not happening. But his attitude and smile had brightened my day. The day seamed to be a lot more special because of that. It is quite interesting how one person's attitude can effect those around them. My brief encounter with this man in the morning had made my day. My hope now is that one day I will be able to do the same for someone else as he did for me.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Ice Hotel
This last week I was able to visit the beautiful Ice Hotel of Quebec City. This is one of just two ice hotels in the world, the other hotel is in Sweden. The Quebec hotel is celebrating their 15th anniversary of being open this year. They have had over 1 million visitors stay overnight since they opened, and it costs them thousands of dollars to rebuild the hotel every year. The hotel is made entirely of snow and ice, there are no beams or poles to hold it up; it is a "self-sustaining" structure. It is quite something. It is expensive to stay overnight, I believe the price starts around $200 a night, but it would be a once in a lifetime experience. I however did not stay the night, I just visited for one afternoon and took a lot of pictures. Here are just a few of my pictures of the Ice Hotel. You can find out more about the hotel on their website here.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and perhaps someday you will be able to see for yourself the beauty of this hotel. The fact that we as humans can make something so beautiful out of God's creation still astounds me. It makes me appreciate the beauty God has put in the world, even the beauty of winter.
I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Lord's Day!
Welcome to the Hôtel de Glace
The Chapel
The Slide
I went down the slide. :)
Hallway to the bedrooms.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and perhaps someday you will be able to see for yourself the beauty of this hotel. The fact that we as humans can make something so beautiful out of God's creation still astounds me. It makes me appreciate the beauty God has put in the world, even the beauty of winter.
I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Lord's Day!
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Quick Update
I'm sorry I haven't been writing a lot recently. Life has been busy here and it keeps getting busier. Other than my French lessons, I keep busy with helping people in the church; babysitting, helping people move, picking up kids, socializing. I have been attending a bible study that a Christian group on the local University campus organizes. They are with the Power to Change organization and I have really enjoyed getting to know a lot of those people. The English Conversation groups are continuing and we continue to have more new people almost every week. We will be having one more session this week before we take a break for two weeks, but we will continue due to the requests of the many people who have been coming. :)
Yesterday we had our first session for a Kid's Day in English at the church. I was in charge of it all, the organization, planning, getting volunteers, buying supplies. Being the leader and being in charge was and still is a little strange for me. It will take a while before I become comfortable with that position. I even had to make a short announcement to the church in French! That was nerve wracking! But Lord willingly I got through that and I got through Kid's Day.
We had quite a lot of kids come for the first day. I was expecting around 10-12, but in the end we had 17 kids by the time we were done. We had kids come from the church and kids from the neighborhood, it was great. Everything really ended up going smoothly, but we did learn about some things that we need to change. But learning that now is a good thing. Hopefully we can fix that for the next time. I have two weeks to prep for the next session, and I pray that God will help me through this.
Again, thank you all so much for your prayers and support. It means so much to me. Please pray for this Kid's Day event and that these kid's will be open to the Word. And please pray for my health, I am afraid that all this activity is finally wearing me out and it may be possible that the cold/flu might finally catch up to me. As someone kindly mentioned to me today, I need to survive this and stay alive! :)
Thank you again. I hope you had a blessed Lord's Day.
Yesterday we had our first session for a Kid's Day in English at the church. I was in charge of it all, the organization, planning, getting volunteers, buying supplies. Being the leader and being in charge was and still is a little strange for me. It will take a while before I become comfortable with that position. I even had to make a short announcement to the church in French! That was nerve wracking! But Lord willingly I got through that and I got through Kid's Day.
We had quite a lot of kids come for the first day. I was expecting around 10-12, but in the end we had 17 kids by the time we were done. We had kids come from the church and kids from the neighborhood, it was great. Everything really ended up going smoothly, but we did learn about some things that we need to change. But learning that now is a good thing. Hopefully we can fix that for the next time. I have two weeks to prep for the next session, and I pray that God will help me through this.
Again, thank you all so much for your prayers and support. It means so much to me. Please pray for this Kid's Day event and that these kid's will be open to the Word. And please pray for my health, I am afraid that all this activity is finally wearing me out and it may be possible that the cold/flu might finally catch up to me. As someone kindly mentioned to me today, I need to survive this and stay alive! :)
Thank you again. I hope you had a blessed Lord's Day.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Winter Carnival
Every year in Quebec City there is a winter carnival. It is a long event that lasts two to three weeks at the end of January and at the beginning of February. This particular carnival has returned every year for the last 60 years. It is a big event that lots of people enjoy. The history of this festival goes back to when the province was a territory of France in the 1600's. The villagers from both sides of the river would meet in the middle of the frozen river to have a time of festivities to celebrate the winter. Can you imagine that? They would create a small "village" in the middle of the river for this event and spend several weeks there. Today, the river cannot be allowed to freeze completely due to large ships of cargo and such. But the Quebecois people still celebrate it. And I experienced it for two days.
Most of the festivities happen on the weekends when they will have races and different sports in the snow and ice, but there are still things to do during the week. They have ice sculptures, snow sculptures, snow slides, different races and many events for the kids. It is a very family friendly environment, and I enjoyed that aspect of it. There is also a small Ice Palace where Bonhomme (the carnival's mascot) lives, and a parade of lights and floats. You can find out more about the carnival and the history of it here.
It can be fun, especially if the weather is nice. But it is usually very cold, and only the bravest will join the activities for a full day. I was able to walk around for one evening and watched part of the canoe races the following afternoon. The whole idea of a carnival in the middle of winter is bizarre, but it was quite enjoyable for me.
If you are ever in Quebec City in the middle of winter, it just might be worth it to check out the carnival. I hope you all have a good and safe winter wherever you are. Stay warm!
Most of the festivities happen on the weekends when they will have races and different sports in the snow and ice, but there are still things to do during the week. They have ice sculptures, snow sculptures, snow slides, different races and many events for the kids. It is a very family friendly environment, and I enjoyed that aspect of it. There is also a small Ice Palace where Bonhomme (the carnival's mascot) lives, and a parade of lights and floats. You can find out more about the carnival and the history of it here.
It can be fun, especially if the weather is nice. But it is usually very cold, and only the bravest will join the activities for a full day. I was able to walk around for one evening and watched part of the canoe races the following afternoon. The whole idea of a carnival in the middle of winter is bizarre, but it was quite enjoyable for me.
Game of Thrones throne
Inside Bonhomme's palace
The outside of Bonhomme's palace.
Snow sculpture
Ice sculpture
Canoe races.
If you are ever in Quebec City in the middle of winter, it just might be worth it to check out the carnival. I hope you all have a good and safe winter wherever you are. Stay warm!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
The People You Meet
It is interesting the type of people you meet. You can say that about your whole life, but my encounters with people, while here in Quebec, have struck me the most. You don't often think about the people you might randomly talk to while waiting in line or eating lunch unless you see them again. When you do think of a person that you did not see again, it is because they did something special that made you remember them. I don't know why, but I have been finding my encounters with strangers to be a little more special now.
Some of my conversations on these encounters become English conversations. That can be a special surprise to know that this person can speak your language. Your ears are always alert when you hear English being spoken. I had a nice conversation with one lady while waiting for the bus during my first few weeks here. Just last week I had lunch with a man who had once lived in California. I also met a nice woman at a Brethren church that I visited a few weeks ago. She wanted to speak in English with me, which was great! I find it interesting where you will meet people who are fluent in English.(Especially when you live in a place known for being picky about speaking their language all the time.)
There are also the conversations in French that happen as well. Those tend to happen to me less frequently with strangers because I am not very confident in my language skills. But when it happens to me, I find it special because these people who are listening to me take the time to try and understand me when they know I can't speak their language. People can be more patient than we think they are. Several weeks ago, back in November, I met another woman while waiting for the bus. We started talking about the weather getting colder and eventually led to me explaining why I was here and what I was doing for the church. She and I cross paths on the bus frequently and she has been coming regularly to our English Conversation activities. That is a nice friendship that has grown from that one conversation.
Just today I had another conversation with a woman on the bus. She noticed that my coat wasn't warm enough. That was my fault because I have a warmer coat, but I had hoped it would be a little warmer like it had been yesterday. But it wasn't. I nearly froze just standing there waiting for the bus. But she kept me company. She was patient with me, there was a moment where I just had to change the subject because I couldn't remember this one particular word! But she bore it with me.
Strangers can also make a remark or an observance that you hadn't thought about before. Several people have remarked on how courageous I am to come here on my own. People have expressed that they were shocked that I would come so far from home when I didn't know anyone. I guess leaving the comfort of your home and family to go to a different country, where they speak a different language, and where you know no one, would be terrifying. I can see how doing that would be considered courageous, but I don't see myself as courageous. Still, some things are terrifying, some are wonderful, and some are not as "romantic" or fanciful as one would think. But despite all of that, I don't let it get to me. I can't.
I was reminded today, by my best friend, of something I am going to tell you. When the decision has been made, you follow through and do it knowing that this is God's plan for you. You put your trust in Him knowing that He will be there with you. Matthew 28:20b says, "and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." God is with me. Psalm 56:3-4 says, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" God is with me, He protects me, why should I be afraid when I trust in Him? That is why I am able to be here in Quebec City, because I believe in God and have put my faith and trust in Him.
Almost every time I meet someone new or am just having a short conversation with a stranger, the question as to why I am in Quebec always comes up. I am always able to give them a response as to what I am doing for the church. I am not always able to bring in the gospel, but I hope that their "funny looks" and "questioning glances" will help them think about it. I know it reminds me of what I am doing here. It also helps me pray for these people when I know I may not see them again. That is why I am thankful for the random conversations with strangers. I get an opportunity to share what I am doing and I am reminded of why I am doing it.
Whether your next random conversation with a stranger will become a friendship or not, you shouldn't be afraid. Don't be afraid to talk to someone. Show them God's love through your love. Share with them His good news.
Romans 8:31b "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
I hope you have a wonderful New Year.
God Bless,
Jennifer
Some of my conversations on these encounters become English conversations. That can be a special surprise to know that this person can speak your language. Your ears are always alert when you hear English being spoken. I had a nice conversation with one lady while waiting for the bus during my first few weeks here. Just last week I had lunch with a man who had once lived in California. I also met a nice woman at a Brethren church that I visited a few weeks ago. She wanted to speak in English with me, which was great! I find it interesting where you will meet people who are fluent in English.(Especially when you live in a place known for being picky about speaking their language all the time.)
There are also the conversations in French that happen as well. Those tend to happen to me less frequently with strangers because I am not very confident in my language skills. But when it happens to me, I find it special because these people who are listening to me take the time to try and understand me when they know I can't speak their language. People can be more patient than we think they are. Several weeks ago, back in November, I met another woman while waiting for the bus. We started talking about the weather getting colder and eventually led to me explaining why I was here and what I was doing for the church. She and I cross paths on the bus frequently and she has been coming regularly to our English Conversation activities. That is a nice friendship that has grown from that one conversation.
Just today I had another conversation with a woman on the bus. She noticed that my coat wasn't warm enough. That was my fault because I have a warmer coat, but I had hoped it would be a little warmer like it had been yesterday. But it wasn't. I nearly froze just standing there waiting for the bus. But she kept me company. She was patient with me, there was a moment where I just had to change the subject because I couldn't remember this one particular word! But she bore it with me.
Strangers can also make a remark or an observance that you hadn't thought about before. Several people have remarked on how courageous I am to come here on my own. People have expressed that they were shocked that I would come so far from home when I didn't know anyone. I guess leaving the comfort of your home and family to go to a different country, where they speak a different language, and where you know no one, would be terrifying. I can see how doing that would be considered courageous, but I don't see myself as courageous. Still, some things are terrifying, some are wonderful, and some are not as "romantic" or fanciful as one would think. But despite all of that, I don't let it get to me. I can't.
I was reminded today, by my best friend, of something I am going to tell you. When the decision has been made, you follow through and do it knowing that this is God's plan for you. You put your trust in Him knowing that He will be there with you. Matthew 28:20b says, "and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." God is with me. Psalm 56:3-4 says, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" God is with me, He protects me, why should I be afraid when I trust in Him? That is why I am able to be here in Quebec City, because I believe in God and have put my faith and trust in Him.
Almost every time I meet someone new or am just having a short conversation with a stranger, the question as to why I am in Quebec always comes up. I am always able to give them a response as to what I am doing for the church. I am not always able to bring in the gospel, but I hope that their "funny looks" and "questioning glances" will help them think about it. I know it reminds me of what I am doing here. It also helps me pray for these people when I know I may not see them again. That is why I am thankful for the random conversations with strangers. I get an opportunity to share what I am doing and I am reminded of why I am doing it.
Whether your next random conversation with a stranger will become a friendship or not, you shouldn't be afraid. Don't be afraid to talk to someone. Show them God's love through your love. Share with them His good news.
Romans 8:31b "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
I hope you have a wonderful New Year.
God Bless,
Jennifer
Monday, December 15, 2014
Let's Talk About Christmas
This last week we had our last English Conversation before Christmas. We had a good group of 7 returnees that evening. Our topic of discussion was Christmas. Most of the questions and discussion were basic being about what we do for Christmas and what does the holiday mean for you. One person in my group insisted on turning the questions onto us, the Anglophones (someone who's first language is English). That got me thinking: What does Christmas really mean to me and to possibly many Christians?
Today, Christmas has been overly advertised and debated to the extent where we worry more about what we want or will get for Christmas and whether we are offending someone or not when we say "Merry Christmas." Yes Christmas has seemed to become a huge advertisement and another way to get more things; there was a Christmas tree up in the local mall three days before Halloween, and Costco has had Christmas decorations since September, apparently. We have fallen far away from the original meaning of Christmas and I don't want to discuss just how far we have fallen. I want to know what Christmas is all about.
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Please read those last two lines again! "What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come form a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." Dr. Seuss brought up an important question that I want to tackle.
Why do we celebrate the birth of Christ? And why do we celebrate it with our families and with gifts? Why even bother with gifts at all? I don't know where the origins of exchanging gifts at Christmas came from, and I don't think it even matters. What matters is what is in our hearts now. What is behind Christmas for you? right now, this year?
Why do we connect gifts with the birth of Jesus? I think it is because Christ Jesus was and is the ultimate gift from God.
- Romans 3:23-25 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."
- Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that n o one may boast."
- Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
God sent his Son to be born of flesh so that one day He would be the perfect, spotless, sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world. His death and resurrection gave us the free gift of salvation. All we need to do is have faith in Christ and we are able to receive this gift of salvation. I would call that an incredible gift.
So in the end "Jesus is the reason for the season" because He was, and still is, the ultimate gift that we could ever ask for. The gift of salvation. When we understand that, then we are able to show our gratitude to God by giving to others and sharing this gift with others. I hope that you will think about this gift when you are giving presents to people this year. We are able to give presents and gifts because of the gift of salvation through Jesus that has been given to us.
I hope you all have a wonderful time with your families this Christmas. May this remembrance of Christ's birth bring great joy to you this year.
Merry Christmas!!!
Today, Christmas has been overly advertised and debated to the extent where we worry more about what we want or will get for Christmas and whether we are offending someone or not when we say "Merry Christmas." Yes Christmas has seemed to become a huge advertisement and another way to get more things; there was a Christmas tree up in the local mall three days before Halloween, and Costco has had Christmas decorations since September, apparently. We have fallen far away from the original meaning of Christmas and I don't want to discuss just how far we have fallen. I want to know what Christmas is all about.
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Please read those last two lines again! "What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come form a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." Dr. Seuss brought up an important question that I want to tackle.
Why do we celebrate the birth of Christ? And why do we celebrate it with our families and with gifts? Why even bother with gifts at all? I don't know where the origins of exchanging gifts at Christmas came from, and I don't think it even matters. What matters is what is in our hearts now. What is behind Christmas for you? right now, this year?
Why do we connect gifts with the birth of Jesus? I think it is because Christ Jesus was and is the ultimate gift from God.
- Romans 3:23-25 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."
- Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that n o one may boast."
- Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
God sent his Son to be born of flesh so that one day He would be the perfect, spotless, sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world. His death and resurrection gave us the free gift of salvation. All we need to do is have faith in Christ and we are able to receive this gift of salvation. I would call that an incredible gift.
So in the end "Jesus is the reason for the season" because He was, and still is, the ultimate gift that we could ever ask for. The gift of salvation. When we understand that, then we are able to show our gratitude to God by giving to others and sharing this gift with others. I hope that you will think about this gift when you are giving presents to people this year. We are able to give presents and gifts because of the gift of salvation through Jesus that has been given to us.
I hope you all have a wonderful time with your families this Christmas. May this remembrance of Christ's birth bring great joy to you this year.
Merry Christmas!!!
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