It was Christmas Eve. The halls were decked, the lights were strung, cookies and pies and presents all done…except a few items to pick up at the store on the way to celebrate with family.
Publics was packed. Last minute shoppers, like us.
We piled the cart with things we’d need, and more things we
didn’t.
There was a cake. An ice cream cake. A big rectangle shaped cake.
It was chocolate inside; colorful and bright on the out. Happy Birthday, fancifully
written across the top.
I pictured us pausing, for just a moment, the kids from
playing, the adults from their own personal pursuit of happiness; to take the
focus from their presents, to His Presence. The real reason for the season;
Immanuel, God with us.
I smiled, said right out loud, “Happy Birthday Jesus,” and
placed the cake in the cart.
When almost all the groceries were transferred from cart to
checkout conveyor, my wife said, “They already have a cake.”
“What do you mean?”
“They said they were baking, pies, cake, we don’t need
another one.”
I was tempted to say, “okay, fine” and put it back. But, “Did
they bake a birthday cake, for Jesus?” came out instead.
“I don’t know, but they already have plenty of—”
“That’s not the point.” A stern resolve welled up within me
that had little to do with a cake. All at once, I felt God right there,
watching, listening, remembering, all the times only He can count, where He was
told, and shown, there’s no room for You.
I see the world all lit up, with lights galore, blow ups of Santa
and reindeer and every Disney character in the world…but a nativity scene? Few and
far between.
I smell delicious cookies and pies and cakes, and turkey and
ham and…the list goes on. But a birthday cake for Jesus? We’re good. We have enough.
We don’t have room for that.
He takes it personal. He sees the cart, overflowing with all
kinds of things nobody needs, but the only thing selected to be removed,
thought of as too much, as not needed…is Him.
He reads the heart. He hears what’s really being said, “We
don’t have room for You.” We want Your presents—not Your Presence.
Jesus at School? Work? Government? Something to do with separation
of church and state and equal rights. We buy the devil’s lie, and remove Jesus
from the cart.
A stern resolve welled up from within and came out firm and
bold and a bit too loud, “I’m getting a birthday cake for Jesus. To honor Him.”
On second thought, it wasn’t nearly firm or bold or loud enough.
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. If we
have a birthday party but don’t invite the Guest of Honor, we’ve done more than
just forgotten, we’ve dishonored Him. If Christ isn’t front and center of Christmas,
we’re doing it wrong.
Christmas is a picture of Christ.
Gift giving, represents the Greatest Giver of all. For
God so love the world that He gave, (His very best) His only begotten
Son (the greatest Gift, is wrapped not in paper, but Skin), that
whosoever (it’s for everybody), believes in Him, should not perish, but
have everlasting Life (the Gift that keeps on giving, eternally,
everlastingly, as the evergreen tree represents).
Decorating with lights is a reflection of Him, the Light of
the world, sent to seek and save us from darkness.
Family gatherings are an extension of His heart, which has
gone to hell and back, so we could be united, together, as one, family, forever.
We bought that cake. And yesterday, on Christmas Day. We
sang happy birthday, to Jesus.
God smiled.
Some of the saddest verses ever written by God:
Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a
bride her attire?
Yet My
people have forgotten Me days without number.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot,” says the Lord. Hosea
2:13
You forgot the Rock who fathered you,
And forgot the God who gave you birth.
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