YAY, IT'S CHRISTMAS!


(Jack, Christmas 2005)

The other day, Jack and I met a friend of mine and his two kids for dinner at McDonald's. As we entered the restaurant, Jack handed me a picture he had drawn in the car -- it was a crude cross, upon which he told me he was preparing to draw "Jesus' body." A bit taken aback, I asked him if he wouldn't rather draw a picture of Jesus in the manger, seeing that it's the Christmas season and all?

Before Jack had a chance to respond, we were inside, where he immediately approached my friend and explained the work in progress. My friend replied with the same question I had asked ... to which Jack responded, with slight frustration in his voice: "But I don't know how to DRAW that!"

I don't have anything profound to add here. I just thought it was pretty funny.

Have a wonderful Christmas everybody!

WINTER THOUGHTS

Dealing with the winter's first blizzard recently got me thinking about evangelism, something I've always struggled with – in part becuase of the paradox it presents.

On one hand, the Bible tells us we are to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19, e.g.) in hopes of persuading people to put their faith in Christ in order to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. On the other hand, the Word also tells us that God Himself chooses whom He will save (Ephesians 1:11). In addition, I've always objected to the idea that someday, someone's eternal fate may hinge on whether or not I put in the required effort. AFter all, one of the fundamental principles of Evangelical Christianity is that there's nothing I can DO to earn my salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). How, then, could it possibly be that somebody else's fate may depend on my actions (or inaction)? I just can't see it.

How then, to reconcile such a conundrum? That's where the blizzard comes in.

A few years ago, I got a picture in my head that help me make sense of it. I imagined our pastor at the time shoveling his driveway in a snowstorm -- and I imagined his 4-year-old son trying to help. If you've ever had a 4-year-old "help" you with anything, you know that most of the time such help actually works against you. So our pastor, in my mind picture, faces a choice: He can either tell his son that his work is too important, and that he can't help right now. Or he can accept the help, knowing full well that it may well slow him down a bit.

Now that I'm a father of a 4-year-old myself, I can see even more clearly that the better answer is the latter one. As a father who loves my son, it brings me joy to have my son help me when he can, even when it slows me down. Even more important, it brings him joy to help me. It's always amazed me how much the parent-child analogy can help me understand how God relates to us. God relates to us in much the same way that we relate to our own children - except even more so. The joy I feel having Jack help me accomplish my purposes pales in comparison to the joy God feels when we help Him accomplish His. In the same way, I learn and grow in the process, just as my son does.

And so it is with evangelism - God is all powerful. When He wants to save someone, there's nothing I can say or do that will either prevent nor ensure their salvation. God doesn't *need* me to help. But because He loves me more than I can possibly imagine, He delights in how my obedience helps me grow and mature as a Christian, and brings me closer to Him.

Even when it tries His patience.