What is a Christmas Gift

This was the title of the sermon this morning at Mission Bell with Pastor Jim Maxson. I'll get to that later on, but it certainly makes a person think. Why do we give gifts at Christmas? My thoughts are because we want to thank folks for their friendship and support during the year, or because we "always do that" with our family. I remember years ago when someone in our immediate family needed to conserve funds, so suggested we draw names for Christmas. That was all well and good, except we were a family for 6 and there were not enough other family members to insure that we did not get our own family! We had to buy gifts for my husband's parents in order to make it work well. That only happened for two years - after that my in-laws rebelled and went back to buying gifts for those you chose to - we opted for the in-laws and kid only which seemed to work out much better. Funny how some traditions become non-traditions as the years go by. Kids grow up, families move farther apart in distance as well as personally. But the reason remains the same - Our Savior was born on Christmas Day (Although it was not in December -any theologians think it was in the fall, others int he spring But whatever the day the message is the same.

A group of us ladies went to the local Women's Shelter with gifts of quilts and toiletries. We collect the small soaps, etc. that we get from hotels and motels which make for great gifts for those in a shelter. The women are there for various reason and often come with only the clothes on their backs.  they and their children may be homeless, it is a refuge from the dangers of a bad relationship , or it is a pace to gather the mother and her children who have no where else to go due to financial circumstances as they try to rebuild their lives. Every Christmas the volunteer's and directer of the shelter invite groups who donate to the organization to a delicious meal - we are served a tamale dinner and waited upon wonderfully as a"thank" you for helping them. Pictures are taken around the tree with smiles on everyone's face. No matter their own internal struggles these ladies are gracious hostesses.

Zoe and Marie delivering toiletriess and quilts

The weather has been pretty crazy - 30's in the morning and then 70's in the afternoon. So dressing in layers is a must! We are so grateful to everyone for their donations of blankets, quilts jackets, hats, gloves, etc. to help those in the colonias keep warm in the cool evenings and mornings.

I posted a picture on facebook of my brother and myself in Chicago in 1947 with a State Street Santa. I thought I had lost the picture, but found it one day as I was changing pictures in the frames -it was hidden under another picture. I love the picture as it is truly a picture of childhood innocence and anticipation as we waited for Santa to arrive. We did get a recording of what we actually asked for that year, but that somehow got lost in moves and transitions. I distinctly remember one Christmas as I lay in bed I hard the jingling of bells and the reindeer hooves on our apartment roof (we were on the second floor, therefore close to the roof). I was petrified that Santa would know I was not asleep and would not leave any presents.

 how innocent we were

We stayed away from all of the stores this weekend as it was a tax free weekend. Hundreds of folks from Mexico came to the US to shop (they receive a card which allows them to enter the US for only 25 miles - they also have to prove they have a reason to return to Mexico, least they use the card as a ruse to illegally enter the US. The stores are packed, the restaurants have long lines and there is not a motel room to be found for miles around. Those unfortunate people who went to Mexico to shop had a 3 hour wait at the border - usually there is a just couple minute wait to cross back to the US. Needless to say we did not anywhere near retail stores!

I stole a couple of pictures from a to Mexico (a chiropractor from the US who feeds hundreds of kids daily just across the border, and owns a pharmacy and spa in Progresso). The pictures give you an idea of the vastness of the fields and amount of produce grown here in The Rio Grande Valley.

one of the many fields of cabbage

cilantro growing everywhere

As I said earlier, Pastor Jim gave a really great sermon this morning. His question"what is a Christmas gift" made us all begin to think. On that Christmas night, the angels proclaimed the truth and the heavens opened up  in praise and glory. But are we puzzled by God's gift? A gift comes wrapped and presented usually in person to another person. God's gift to mankind was presented thousands of years ago in a mall, dirty manager. It was not gift wrapped or sent from Amazon. God created mankind, but mankind spurned Him. He created us to have fellowship with Him, but we hide from Him just as as Adam and Eve did.  Mankind rejected God just as we sometimes run and hide form Him today. From Genesis to Luke, Man continues to spurn God. A child was born, given to us for salvation, but suffered abuse form the time he was a baby and had to flee frorm Herod to the time he was crucified. The Christmas Story is a story of A God who gave until it hurt.

It was not easy to save the world when it did not want to be saved. God knew that there were those in every generation who would not believe or care but He sacrificed anyway. The Christmas story began in a lowly stable and ended at the cross. Jesus was born in a borrowed stable and buried in a borrowed tomb for our sake. Jesus would crush the devil and destroy his work. Revelation says that before creation that He was the Lamb who was slain for our sake. "So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Romans 14:11

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

We may be out of pocket for Christmas, so there may not be blog until later in the week. We wish everyone a very blessed Christmas.