Missed It By That Much!
Do you remember where the phrase, ‘Missed It By That Much!’ comes from? It was a corny show, but I loved ‘Get Smart’. I’ve used that saying through the years for my missteps and blunders – too many to recall, but I do have a picture to prove my point.
I’ve been going through pictures to find stuff from the past. Today, I was looking for the picture of our family playing Charades with Mom. Missy, Mom, and I were enacting the song, ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.’ Of course, I couldn’t find it. But I did find this picture that tells of something more than a blunder.
This picture shows I am a cheapy! When I only have one gift to wrap and I have used every scrap of the paper in my stash, I’ll be derned if I am going to spend another 5 bucks on more paper that will clutter my closet until next season! But then again, that shouldn’t bother me. I have a LOT of stuff in closets that clutters worse than a roll of paper!
Anyway, I pieced and taped but still had a tiny strip that I could not possibly cover. I missed it by that much!
You know what I did, right? Instead of being clever and finding some ribbon to hide the packaging flaw, I just said, ‘Oh, well. It’s better than wrapping it in a Walmart bag!’ I stuffed the gift face down beneath the tree and called it even. It’s what was in the package that mattered.
On Sundays, in addition to going to our own church, I listen to all the sermons of churches my daughters attend and a few other favorites. Because I have a problem listening and paying attention at regular speeds, I fast motion them all. Drives Ronald crazy!
Anyway.
There was one today that applies to my wrapping story. Unlike my ‘oops’, the story of Christmas had no mistakes. The minister reminded the listeners that God totally intended each part of the story to express His Divine plan. Javon Ruff’s sermon, ‘The Stable and The Table’ can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTlzN47TzuY. It is worth the listen!
He spoke of several significant issues in the Christmas story – of Jesus being born in a lowly estate, of lowly parents, announced to lowly shepherds. The stable would be deemed disgustingly poor, fit only for animals. At the climax of the redemption story, the cross Jesus died upon was only for criminals. What the world sees as poor and unreasonable, God meant to draw even the poorest and most alienated to Himself.
Something to think about this final day before Christmas. Like my package wrap failings, we all fall short of God’s perfection. But God provided the perfect resolution to mankind’s shortcomings.
TLB John 1:14 And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth.
John 1:10-13 says. But although He made the world, the world didn’t recognize Him when He came. … Only a few would welcome and receive Him. But to all who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust Him to save them. All those who believe this are reborn! – not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan – but from the will of God.
God still is calling for us to believe, receive, and trust in His Son, Jesus.
May you seek and accept the truth of Christmas.
Blessings
Kara Beth
