Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord

I grew up in a Housing and Urban Development housing project in Ashland, Kentucky. After my parents divorced, we moved to Ashland, and lived a few months with my grandparents. We moved again to an apartment that was two blocks from where they lived. The final move was to Deboard Hill, where HUD had built a number of four-apartment buildings. We were in the apartment at the fork of the road where Stratton Drive and Reeves went their seperate ways. I lived there with my mom and two sisters until 1982, after I graduated from high school. Every year my mom would deposit a little bit of money into the Christmas club at the bank, and then beginning in November she would begin purchasing pounds of sugar and food coloring and flavoring so she could make cream candy. The cream candy became popular among friends and extended family who would purchase loads of the sugary confection and either eat it themselves or would give to others as gifts. About a week or two before Christmas, she would give us about $50 cash and we would go to a local department store and shop for gifts. At home we wrapped our gifts when no one else was around. In time our grandfather would come and pick us up, and we would load into his 1967 Chevy Impala and move in with them for a few days, including over Christmas. Also over Christmas break, my dad would drive down from Dayton, Ohio, and pick me and my two sisters up and we would spend a week with him and see our cousins and aunt and grandmother. We also opened presents with them. The last visit we made with our dad to Dayton was over Christmas break in 1981. He bought me the matching jacket and pants that I would wear in May for my high school graduation ceremony. Christmas was always a time of mixed messages, now that I think about it. There was always Santa Clause at the mall, getting his picture taken with little kids who told him what they wanted for Christmas. I guess it was one way for parents to learn what their children wanted so they could make the purchases and make sure they were happy on Christmas morning. I don't recall ever asking for it, but I always got a 1/72 scale model of an F-14 "Tomcat." I think once I got two models of German tanks from WWII. I can't remember every little thing I got for Christmas. I do remember buying my dad socks and wishing I would have gotten him something better than that. I never knew what to get him. Parents don't talk a lot with Santa like little kids do. Christmas cards featured angels, trees, stars, snow-covered houses, sleighs, reindeer, and well-wishes that there will be "peace on earth, good will to all mankind." There were Nativity scenes with wise men, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and baby Jesus in the manger. There were snowmen and Santa Clause in cute poses with cute captions. Cards came from family members that were only seen maybe once a year at a family reunion. Peace on earth with the gift of armored fighting vehicles and navy jet fighters. Not sure if there was ever a grudge match between Christ and Santa over who had rightful claim over the holidy season. I only remember one sermon preached while in the Free-will Baptist church we attended that said the Spirit of Christmas should be with us all year 'round. We should not just give gifts once a year, but every day of the year we should give the gift of Christ and the gift of ourselves. Be the gift. Share the gift of God's love. something similar was said regarding the concept of giving thanks, not just on Thanksgiving, but to have the spirit of thanksgiving with us every day of the year. It matters not to me what day Jesus Christ was born. A pastor pointed out that the gift is more important than the day the gift was shared. There is good reason why the date of Jesus' birth isn't given, but we know the date of His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary, for it is the hinge of Bible prophecy. We can date with accuracy that He was baptized in 27 AD. We can do the math and determine His death was on the Passover weekend in 30 AD, and that line in Daniel 9:27 comes to an end in 33 AD with the stoning of Stephen in Acts 6. The gift that God gave the human race that day in Bethleham was His only begotten Son. The example of Jesus Christ in how to share and how to give thanks are two things we as Christians need desperately in these times. We need to have sharing hearts and thankful hearts. If we did, then it would be so much easier to proclaim the message of John the Baptist, to "prepare the way of the Lord." Jesus Christ is soon to return to this world, when He rewards His faithful children with the gift of eternal life, for they believed His promises. They hungered and thirsted after His righteousness and it was given to them to eat and drink. They sought first the kingdom of God. They boldly knocked on the door and God opened it. They diligently sought the face of the Lord with all their heart and found Him. They humbly asked and God smiled and gave the blessings that met their needs. Boldy they proclaimed, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." It is our turn to give this message to the world. It is our turn to prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts and to declare "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." No other gift we have to offer than the love of God to a fallen world that gets more and more degenerate with each passing day. The Father wants to send Jesus to us so He can take us home to be with Him forever. He's given us a gift of patience that can never be measured. In the coming year, may we somehow learn to be as patient with God and with others as He has been with us. And may we be found patiently waiting upon the Lord on that day of His appearing. God bless us, everyone. And may we share those blessings with the spirit of giving that this world desperately needs now more than ever. If we won't start today, then when is a good time to start?