Where is that big stick when I need it?
The second day of Christmas, Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God. And those debating him could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. – from Acts 7-6
Regardless, they picked up stones, the ancient weapon of choice for thoughtless mobs, and threw them up at Stephen. Killed him. He neither spoke softly nor carried a big stick. But the “price” he paid was to see heaven in the flesh before any of his enemies.
The sun shone bright in Austin yesterday. Blue skies shining at me. But regardless, several of our friends are suffering on this morning after Christmas. They pray and we pray, we all pray for the coming of Jesus, for the return of glory, for our health and the welfare of all.
And regardless of all the shadows in the corners of the room, we played a game with brand new full-size boxes of Kleenex, a competition to see who could empty a box first. Now that was fun. And these snow-white tissues had not been used!
I’m hoping somebody posts some of our slo-mo videos on Facebook. Snow … glorious snow. Or perhaps it’s even better in your imagination. Snow clouds flutter soft to earth. We piled them into a white garbage bag. Maybe I’ll keep the bag in a corner of my counseling office, and I’ll be set for life.
No rocks today. But we did throw marshmallows through a hula hoop into an apple basket, while the rest of us threw cotton balls to intercept the marshmallows before they got there. So much safer than rocks. Or nuts.
When I was about 11, on a Boy Scout camping trip, some of the other scouts were throwing acorns at each other in the dark. As I remember it, I was being a good boy. But regardless, I got smacked next to my eye. Right next to my eye. In the dark. I could have gone blind!
But I didn’t. And the next day I anchored a swimming relay team for our troop. I had great form, but I didn’t realize that I had to go fast. And everybody was kind of mad at me. This afternoon we each put a candy cane in our mouth and used them to lift more candy canes into the basket. In a minute, Aki had twelve, and I had three. But I had great form, and this time nobody got mad.
Later we put the candy canes on the doorknobs of neighbors, and a Merry Christmas bank envelope on a car down the street. I thought of the story of Stephen, his testimony and his reward. In my own way, I looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God. And I began to think that 2018 might not be so bad after all.
Jesus, here we are. And you’re here too, and we are full of joy to be with you. Little baby boy growing up too soon, surrounded by angels, kept safe in the cleft of his Father’s arms, ready to show us how to live, all my life I am learning to love you, by learning how much you love me. In your refining fire the mountains melt like wax, while I melt safely into your embrace.
http://www.davesandel.net/category/advent-and-christmas-devotions-2017/
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1640
