December 20, 2024 - The Miracle of Christmas

The Miracle of Christmas

Friday, December 20, 2024

By Ellen Bivens

Jesus, God’s Son, was born to a virgin, lived without sin, loved everyone, and died on the cross to save us.  Some struggle to accept this miraculous news. Jesus told us in Matthew 18:2 that “unless we become like little children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Little children are open and accepting of new information where others have closed their ears, eyes, and hearts to the blessings of God. John 3:16 tells us that God loves the world, sending His only son so whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life. For God’s Crew the Good News of salvation through Jesus is easy to accept.

Christmas and holidays are exciting times for the Crew! They are excited about coming to church and fellowshipping with their brothers and sisters in Christ. They do not talk about material things or the hope of any gift. Those blessed with the opportunity to visit family, talk about the visit for weeks in advance. They are excited about who they will see!

Many do not have family or friends to celebrate and/or spend the holidays with.   My heart goes out to them and to all the people like them in nursing homes, facilities, shelters, and some living in their own homes.  We have an amazing opportunity to bless everyone at FUMC with a “visit with family”!  Let’s go beyond the door greeters and coffee hosts and each of us make it a goal to welcome and visit with them. Get to know them, their names, and listen to what they have to say.

When I invited a member of God’s Crew to attend FUMC, their first question was: Are they friendly? I immediately answered: Yes! But then I began to wonder, are they friendly? Will they speak to them? When we left the sanctuary after Sunday service only one couple smiled and said hello to that first time visitor. If we all reach out to others, especially those we do not know, with a smile and greeting, prayerfully everyone will feel welcome!

Praise the Lord, God’s Crew are filled with the same joy, year around, to be in church. David in Psalm 122 shared their enthusiasm and joy “to be in the House of the Lord”. They often comment on how blessed and thankful we are to have the van for transportation. The van is a gift from the Lord and you all. It makes it possible to transport so many! We were very limited to the number we could transport when using private vehicles. In Matthew 19:14 Jesus tells us to “let the children come to Him and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.” You have made that scripture possible.

Thank you for opening your hearts and ears to God’s Crew and everyone who comes into God’s House. They each have their own gifts and quirks and some of those quirks can cloud our outlook. Jesus tells us to make allowances for the quirks we see in others, and to love them. The nicest gift we can give is sharing our time with others.

God Crew is currently in need of van drivers on Sundays 7:45 to 8:25 a.m. You only need to transport them to the church as I transport them back to their facilities.  If you will help, please contact Falana or myself.

God Bless you as we celebrate the wonder and joy of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. May we all see and accept the miraculous gift of Jesus through the eyes of a child. 

[Editor's Note: When i asked what the Crew's favorite song was, the answer came very quickly.  This may not be technically a Christmas song, but it is a great song with a powerful message.]