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See
Ya Next Year!
“The
Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
John
1:14
It
was a week after Christmas and Emily had come to my house.
She very quickly missed the magnetic
manger scene that had been displayed on the refrigerator
door during the Christmas holidays.
The conversation that followed went something like this:
Emily:
Grandma, where’s baby Jesus?
Grandma:
I put him away.
Emily:
Where?
Grandma:
Upstairs in a box.
Emily:
Why?
Grandma:
Christmas is over and next year we’ll get him out again
Emily:
Can I have baby Jesus now?
I instantly knew I had
a story to write. As each word
tumbled out of my mouth it sounded ominously hollow and yet so painfully true.
It doesn’t take a lot of discussion to realize that this is how much of
the so-called Christian community treats Jesus.
He is an object to be adored and displayed at the appropriate time but
then tucked safely back into a box
for the next worthy occasion.
John
writes, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the
world did not know Him. He came to
His own, and His own did not receive Him. But
as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of
God, to those who believe on His name.”
Jesus
became human flesh and for a short period of time lived among family and
community teaching and exemplifying the kingdom of God. He, who knew no sin,
dwelt among us, bore our sin with his death and rose again giving eternal life
to those who receive and believe in Him. He
desires to live within our hearts. Jesus
is not a nomad wondering to and fro. Jesus is not a guest coming for Christmas
dinner. Jesus is the spirit of the
Living God, dwelling within our hearts.
I think of the simple
words to the song Into My Heart.
Into
my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Come
into today; come in to stay. Come
into my heart, Lord Jesus.
I
think I’ll get Baby Jesus out of the box and restore him to his rightful place
on the refrigerator door! Lord
Jesus, let it be a reminder to me that you are dwelling in our heart and home
all year.
Pat Hertzler
January 5, 2003
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Hertzler
Farm
and Feed Inc.
