Today’s Readings: Psalm 96; 1 Chronicles 16:19-27; John 5:30-47; Colossians 1:24-29; Psalm 48
One of the lines from today’s first Psalm really captured my attention. Psalm 96: 8-9 reads: “Bring gifts and celebrate; bow before the beauty of God; then to your knees-everyone worship” (The Message). That line helped me realize that while I’ve thought about gifts I need to get for the people in my life this holiday season – I haven’t thought much about what gift I should get God. And then it hit me what “gift” God might like. You see I have a second cousin who lives in Oregon that I haven’t talked with much since I came out fourteen years ago. In fact, I haven’t talked to her at all since I met my partner Mike back in 2001. When Mike and I had our wedding in 2003, we did send her an invitation; but the invitation was never acknowledged. The only time I hear from her these days is at Christmas. She always sends a card – and each year the card is addressed only to me. Every year I throw away her card out without opening it because I feel as if it is an offense to my family since she refuses to acknowledge Mike and my relationship. This year, however, I’ve decided to do something different. M gift to God will be extending a bit of the grace that God has given me to my second cousin. I’ll open her card and actually display it with the other cards I receive. In other words, I’ll break my usual pattern and bring a little less bitterness and animosity into the world this Christmas. That will be my gift to God. What will yours be? Til next time…
One of the lines from today’s first Psalm really captured my attention. Psalm 96: 8-9 reads: “Bring gifts and celebrate; bow before the beauty of God; then to your knees-everyone worship” (The Message). That line helped me realize that while I’ve thought about gifts I need to get for the people in my life this holiday season – I haven’t thought much about what gift I should get God. And then it hit me what “gift” God might like. You see I have a second cousin who lives in Oregon that I haven’t talked with much since I came out fourteen years ago. In fact, I haven’t talked to her at all since I met my partner Mike back in 2001. When Mike and I had our wedding in 2003, we did send her an invitation; but the invitation was never acknowledged. The only time I hear from her these days is at Christmas. She always sends a card – and each year the card is addressed only to me. Every year I throw away her card out without opening it because I feel as if it is an offense to my family since she refuses to acknowledge Mike and my relationship. This year, however, I’ve decided to do something different. M gift to God will be extending a bit of the grace that God has given me to my second cousin. I’ll open her card and actually display it with the other cards I receive. In other words, I’ll break my usual pattern and bring a little less bitterness and animosity into the world this Christmas. That will be my gift to God. What will yours be? Til next time…
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