The shopping is done

Wow, unlike previous years I am finished with my Christmas shopping. For gifts that is. There's lots to do for the big meal yet, but I have completed the task of shopping for gifts for my beloved.

Now what?

I have time to stop.  That's an interesting sentence, "I have time to stop". The hustle and bustle have been completed and I have no other reason to go and negotiate for parking spots or anything else in the mall or on "main" street.

Now, my focus is on my final preparations for Christmas, which of course is so much more than a day. Christmas is a season, a time, a state of mind. In preparation I have been trying to read the applicable scriptures and A Christmas Carol. Now, I can stop and enjoy the warmth of the fire, the sweetness of the tea, the soothing of gentle music, the smell of ink on page and the sounds of my family as they laugh with and at together.

Now I can stop and think about the choice that was made long before the universe began. I can think about when the fullness of time God sent His son, born of a woman to redeem all of us who are "under the law". I can wonder, question, and scratch my head until my fingers ache and still not understand how this came about and yet it doesn't matter how because I know why. Why did all this happen? It did not happen so we could enjoy the season, it didn't happen so we could sorrow over those who will be missing from the table, it didn't happen to allow us to lavish our love on one another, not it happened because God wanted to lavish His love on us.

Simple really. He loves us so He sent us our "get out of jail free card" if I can be so crass.  This creation He loved needs a redeemer kinsman and this little babe in swaddling clothes grew to be the redeemer kinsman. We could only be bought and redeemed by one who understood our station, who know what it means to hurt, who knows what it means to be overjoyed by love, who knows what it means to cry.

Yes, the shopping is done, the final price is paid, the most amazing gift has been given.

What will you do with this gift this Christmas? Will you accept it or give it back. It cannot be regifted because everyone has been offered this gift. What will you do with this Christmas gift? It is time. The  question "now what" has been answered.

Yes or No?

Your eternal life hangs in the balance.