The Christmas Code - December 5, 2022
UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR
She brought forth her firstborn Son... and laid Him in a manger.
Luke 2:7
If you are like me, you type hundreds of words each day. Let me ask you a question. Are the keys you type on black, or gray, or white? The truth is, most people cannot give a definitive answer without looking at the keys, even though they look at them several times every single day. The point? There are a lot of things in life we see but don't really see.
Take the nativity scene. You have seen it depicted thousands of times, but have you really seen it? I love the feature on my mobile phone that allows me to crop my photos. Recently we took a family picture. Susie and I in the middle, with the grandkids and their parents flanking us. We have a common "enemy" with our grandkids -- their parents! I cropped them out and have a beautiful photo of Susie, me, and the grandkids!
Let's crop the nativity. Look at the entire nativity scene. It is a worship service. Crop it a bit and you find a family in the middle: Joseph, Mary, and the Christ. Crop it more and in the center you see Jesus only.
CODE WORD: CROP
Take a picture of the nativity set in your home. Crop out everything but Jesus. Christmas is about Jesus. Keep Him in the middle of your Christmas this year.
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Lord in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of this season, help me focus on You.
In Jesus' name, amen.