When you think of the Christmas story, there are people who played an extraordinary role in the story. But, if you were to ask them, they would tell you they didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. Imagine a Christmas story without the shepherds, or the Magi, or maybe an innkeeper who said, “Come on in – there’s plenty of room.” All of the characters in the Christmas story had a purpose and a reason for being in the story. They were there to reveal God’s love and to tell people of all generations that Christ was born!
My life is full of people who, for just a moment, made an impact. They may not realize they made that impact – the mail person who delivered a Christmas card from a faraway loved one, or the frazzled sales clerk who took a moment to smile and carry on a conversation as she helped me find the perfect shirt for my dad. The deed is small and unnoticed by them, but had a big impact on me. For a moment, God’s love shone through them and I realized that it’s Christmas, a time to rejoice and celebrate!
It’s hard for me to understand that I can be used by God to make an impact on someone. I’m sure we all feel that way – “I’m just ordinary, God would never use me.” I learned a lesson about this just last year at our family Thanksgiving celebration. Several years ago, I started a Christmas tradition with the grandkids – they get a gift from me and are encouraged to open before Christmas. It is a pair of goofy pajamas and a book. The books are about Christmas time, sometimes funny, sometimes having just pictures, but it’s always a story about God’s gift of love to them. I tell the grandkids that they are to get on their pajamas and have Mom or Dad read their new book to them on Christmas Eve before they go to bed.
Last year, one of my granddaughters asked me when she was going to get her Christmas book. She said, “You know, the ones about how God loves me.” What started from an idea from Pinterest was used to tell this sweet little girl how much God loves her and that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth. I started the tradition because I missed being with my family on Christmas Eve and it was my way to be there with them. But, God used it for so much more – He delivered the message of Christmas!
This year at Christmas, and throughout the year, remember that a smile, a card, or even a silly book can make an impact and be used to deliver that message of God’s love. Sometimes, God doesn’t shout about His gift of love, He uses a soft whisper. Sometimes, His message is delivered by shepherds who saw the angels and sometimes it’s delivered by a silly tradition. It’s always the same message – God loves us so much that He gave to us His only Son!
Bev Barnes, Communication Administrative Assistant
