We opened gifts early this year at Audrey and Logan’s new home in Sandy, UT. I had second thoughts about my gift to my son Richard and his wife Tania, which was a goat for a needy family in their honor – through Feed the Children non-profit. I know it was an unusual gift, one that would keep on giving to another family far away. I wondered if instead, it might have been more fitting to get a gift card to Nordstrom’s. I talked to Abby about that as we drove to the airport early this morning. She assured me my gift was fine and I told her that two weeks prior, I had actually forgot about purchasing the goat, and then had a dream in which a young boy and his family in humble surroundings were in need of said goat. They seemed very real to me and so I knew I had to get that goat ordered! I thought thinking of others less fortunate would be a lesson in humility for my children and grandchildren. After returning home from the airport, I decided to sup from the Lord’s words before beginning my tasks. Since its Christmas, I chose to read from the Book of Luke. I silently prayed and was drawn to Luke 14. As you read the following verses you will see God was ‘seconding’ Abby’s affirmation that my gift was good. Jesus taught the Pharisees with the following parable:
8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
12 ¶Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, or thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
In the above verses, The Lord is saying I will be blessed for helping those less fortunate. They do not have the means to repay me, but I am sure the family that received the goat is rejoicing. They most likely have a feeling of goodwill in their hearts towards men knowing that someone they do not know was willing to bless their lives. Matthew 10:37 "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." To me this means we are to see the bigger picture and go with what God wants for us all, and serve one another to the best of our ability. We need to learn to be thoughtful and caring and realize we are all connected.
Merry Christmas – and as Tiny Tim said, God Bless us everyone!
