This is probably one of the most well-known verses in the Bible and it tells us why Jesus came - God loves us! We are all given a choice - separation from God for eternity or being in God's presence for eternity with the promise of no more tears, among other wonderful benefits.
The Son of God didn't give up His heavenly home and all its privileges to be confined in a human body just so we can celebrate Christmas and get lots of presents. He came, knowing that He would die a horrible death, but would be raised from death and be glorified by the Father. And really, the name Son of God is not easy to explain. Because God does not have a human body, Jesus is not a son in the human sense. He is unique and the only Son of His kind. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit who placed the seed in Mary's womb and Jesus talked about how He and the Father are one. The whole thing is the Trinity in action and we can understand that the Trinity exists, but I have never been able to wrap my brain around it and say that I understand it. Hmmm...could it have anything to do with the fact that I am a finite human trying to understand an infinite God, in all three Persons?!
I'm just very grateful that the Son of God came! Last year, the thought occurred to me - I wonder if He ever felt claustrophobic being confined in a human body with all its limitations. Hmmm...
Christmas Decorations
We have many snowflake ornaments on our Christmas tree that have been collected over the years. When the girls were elementary age, we lived in El Paso and snow at Christmas was uncommon. The girls voiced their wish that we would have snow for Christmas. My honey and I told them that God was the only one who could make it snow on Christmas in El Paso and they needed to talk to Him about it. They were so excited on Christmas morning when they got up and ran to look outside. But, it was just chilly and dry outside. They were disappointed, but changed their focus to the gifts.
We have a tradition of reading Santa, Are You For Real?, a book about the true story of St. Nicholas and his belief in Jesus, and reading the story of the Nativity before opening gifts. On that particular Christmas morning, we had just finished praying after reading the stories when our youngest daughter started yelling, "It's snowing! It's snowing!" Sure enough, huge snowflakes were drifting down from the sky and covered the ground. It only lasted for an hour or two, but God had answered the prayers of children. That night, the weather man commented that they had no idea where the snow came from. The girls just laughed and said that they knew where it had come from. So, snowflakes are a symbol of answered prayer for our family and we have those reminders on our tree. Here are some of them:
Today's Recipe - Wild Rice Salad
Taste of Home
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups halved green grapes
1 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cashews
lettuce leaves
Cook rice according to package directions. Drain well; cool to room temperature. Spoon into a large bowl; add chicken, grapes, water chestnuts and mayonnaise. Toss gently with a fork. Cover and chill. Just before serving, add cashews if desired. Serve on lettuce leaves or line a bowl with lettuce leaves and fill with salad. 6 servings
This is the last post until December 27. Have a wonderful Christmas!
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