A Jesus Errand

Someone said a picture is worth a thousand words. I agree. I'm not going to write a great deal, but you can see a lot through the pictures. It was a blessed day.

The children and adults of Galloway have the opportunity throughout the year to earn "points" by doing projects for the missionaries there. They do things like clean up their town and help out around the Baptist Church and the missionaries home. They save their points all year long to buy Christmas gifts at the Christmas Store. If not for this opportunity most of these families would have nothing on Christmas morning.

 

The day we went was the day the children come to redeem their points. They were so precious! They would make a list of all the family members that they wanted to buy presents for.  We would then walk around with them and help them choose their presents. After they had chosen a gift for each person on their list we would ask them if they wanted to buy something for themselves so they would have something to unwrap on Christmas morning. They would excitedly pick out something that they wanted for Christmas. After they have chosen all their gifts, they go to the wrapping station where volunteers help wrap their gifts, so they are all ready for Christmas

 

One young man stood out to me in particular. He was just 13, and had earned 70 points throughout the year. When he came to the "store" to buy his gifts he wouldn't come in. He insisted that his mom and little sister go in to pick out his gifts for him. His mom, wanting to be sure he had a gift to open, picked out a couple of things for him. As I was helping them wrap their gifts this manboy came in to see what had been purchased. He was quite upset that they had chosen anything for him. He stated that he intended his points to be used so his little brothers and sisters would have something on Christmas morning, and that he didn't want anything for himself. This child is fatherless as many of the children that come through the store are, and yet he is somehow learning to be a man.

 

I was humbled to see that these children who don't know much about Jesus are sometimes better examples of Him then I am. Most of them were way more concerned about gifts for others then they were about gifts for themselves. They know the odds. There's been giftless Christmases before. Still they choose that mom, sister, brother receive something special for Christmas from them before they think of themselves. All I could do as they walked out with their sacks of presents was wish them a Merry Christmas and remind them that Jesus loves them. And how He does! Jesus hasn't forgotten the forgotten. And we can't either. It's OK to be Jesus Crazy.

 

 

Note - The only way the ministry in Galloway can provide this Christmas Store is through the generosity of churches and individuals. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, you can reach them at:

 

Ronnie & Karen Grunewald

P.O. Box 284

Galloway, TN 38036

901-229-3595

 

or Becky Jackman

901-229-0100

Some Kind of Christmas Crazy

"So......I have this crazy idea." I said to Dan in the middle of the night the other night. That's mostly the time of day I wait to tell him my crazy ideas. He loves it. In fact he usually says, "Why do you wait until the middle of the night to tell me these things???!"That's how I know he likes it....

I wait, because I have his full attention, and he can't get away. And if he tells me my idea is crazy, it's easier to take in the dark. And I do have some crazy ones, that's why God gave me such a level headed husband.

He finally gave in. "What's your idea?" he bravely asked me. "I think we should drive to Galloway, TN this weekend and help the missionaries there with the Christmas store." I replied. Silence. I quickly started making my case, "They sent out an email that they really need help this year, and we've always said we wanted to take the kids and do something for others for Christmas, and we said some day we'd go over there, and ......I know it's crazy.

To drive 10 hours (5 each way) to work for 1 day is a little bit crazy. But, then there's that young girl, Katie's her name, that traveled all the way from Tennessee to Uganda to share Jesus with so many, and stayed in Uganda because she's crazy for Jesus. And then there's that amazing God baby that traveled through eternity to earth on that Christmas night. Just. For. Me.

Maybe it's not so crazy.

But then I tell myself,

This is the last weekend before Christmas, there's so much to do, shopping, baking, presents to wrap, people to see....and the kids haven't even been to see Santa yet.....

No, they haven't seen Santa yet, but in Galloway they will see Jesus. I know. I've been there, and I've seen Him. Amongst the dirt, poverty, drugs, and kids no one but the missionaries care about, He's there. He's working. He's real.

One of these days, the kids will all know the "truth" about Santa anyway, and there will be disappointment. I saw the sad eyes when my daughter found out the stories weren't true. But then there's that other story. You know the one about that miracle baby, Jesus, that Christmas is really all about? He's real, He is truth. That God baby, that Giver of good gifts? He won't disappoint. He is still alive and still giving His gifts over 2000 years later.

And we can help Him. We can be Jesus on earth. There are so many little children in Galloway, TN who wouldn't receive a thing on Christmas Day if it weren't for the missionaries living in that little town. Those kids already know Santa's only a story. But those missionaries are showing them that Jesus of Christmas is real and He cares about a little thing like a Christmas gift. And those missionaries, they need help. They are there working tirelessly 365 days a year, and they need help here in their busiest time of year. They need help enough they are asking for it.

Can we leave the hustle and bustle and last minute shopping to take our kids on a Jesus errand? Can we stop putting an abundance under our tree for a minute to put something under someone else's? Can we teach our children that life is not all about them this Christmas? Can we remember that life is not all about us....

I talked myself into it. But, I went to sleep without an answer from that level headed man of mine lying next to me.

He's a good man though. He knows when an idea is just plain crazy and when an idea is Jesus crazy. I can't always tell the difference. But, he can. He called me from work the next day. I didn't say a word about it. It was too early in the day. I only talk about crazy in the middle of the night. He suddenly says into the phone, "What time do you want to leave Friday?" My heart jumped out of my chest.

Friday. Friday we will load up a sack of gifts and our little family and take them on a new adventure. My plan was to go to Branson, finish our shopping, and see a Christmas show. But a God baby, a crazy idea, and a good man changed my plan.

This Christmas, I'm thankful for a dad. A dad who's giving up time and money to make sure his children take an opportunity to serve Jesus. A dad who's doing it with them. I'm proud to be married to that dad.

This is what I want for Christmas. I want to see that little baby in the manger come to life in my babies. I want to see the babies of Galloway know that the Jesus of Christmas cares about them too. I want to be changed. I want Christmas to be a lot less about me and a lot more about Him.

We leave tomorrow. I can barely sleep. It's like "the night before Christmas."

Reasons to Stop Writing, or Bumps in the Road

I think the hardest thing about writing is getting back to writing after life throws you a curve ball. So many thoughts in my head to write about, but I can't seem to make myself write them down.

My curve ball was my husband getting injured and spending time out of work and  in the hospital this past summer.....

Definitely not a major deal compared to what so many people go through daily. But, it was a major deal for me.

When suddenly the strongest person in your life becomes the weakest person, things change. Priorities change. I found myself sitting in a hospital room. You know, the place where really old or really sick people go. Not us. But, there we were. And my husband was one the one lying in the bed. "Severe infection from injury," the doctor said. "He needs to be in the hospital on an IV."  All I knew was that he hadn't been able to walk or move out of bed for almost a week. And that's not like my Dan. If I can get him to sit still with me for more than a half hour, I feel lucky.

The first night he was on IVs the infection spread instead of receded. You could actually see it growing, covering his leg. And I cried. Helpless. My mind jumped ahead, "What if the antibiotics don't work?" "What if he loses his leg?", "What if he dies?"  "What will I do.?" I didn't want to worry him with my fears, but he and God are the ones that I always tell my fears to. I crawled into that little hospital bed with him at three in the morning, and he mustered up enough strength to put his arms around me and we cried out to God together. Because, really, what else do you do.

Life is suddenly put into perspective. You realize that one day, one hour, one minute can change your whole life. We were just at the river, playing with our kids like we do so often. Dan tripped and cut his knee on a rock. Not really a big deal -  an ER visit, and  a few stitches. That's all. But it wasn't all.  And now, here we were, lying in that hospital bed together. I have never seen him so sick before, ever.

There were blessings, as there are in every hardship life throws us. People, being Jesus on earth, were the main ones. They came to see us in that little room and helped us pass the long hours. They brought us food, books, and movies. They took wonderful care of our children while we were away. They prayed. When we finally got to come home, they were there cleaning our house so it would be ready for us, and dinner was in the crock pot. Blessings. God always brings blessings.

It was only a month long ordeal, though it seemed like a year. I thought of those that have "years" long ordeals. And my heart cries for them. And I want to be Jesus to them. I want to help be a little bit of the blessing that so many were for me.

I try to get back to writing. Suddenly things in my life are not quite so humorous. It's suddenly harder to sit down and stare at a blank screen. So I don't.

But, here it is Christmas. The time of year that Christ is renewed in our hearts. He came to make all things new. He's renewing me this Christmas. Reminding me of who He is, and why He came.

 I don't want to let the bumps in my road to become mountains that stop me. I want to be an overcomer.