The Innkeeper

I know it is after Christmas, but I meant to publish this one before. There is a great story at the end told by Kim Pruitt that to me epitomizes what the story of Christmas is about.

THE INNKEEPER

Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be registered for the census (Luke 2:4) While in Bethlehem the time came for Mary to have her child (v.6). The information about Jesus’ birth is so scant that we would love to have more! Verse 7 simply says, "And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son." One question stands out for me: Who was the person that stood in front of Joseph and pregnant Mary and said, "Sorry, but we don’t have any room here for you."

Was it a professional innkeeper at a motel? Or was it another Palestinian peasant who took in friends but didn’t have room for Jesus? We don’t know. But we do know there was someone standing in a doorway to a motel or house that looked at Joseph and Mary and said, "Sorry."

Have you ever wondered if that person ever found out that the baby he turned away turned out to be Jesus?

If Mary came to my door for a room to bear Jesus Cheryl and I would let her in immediately! Wouldn’t you?! Who would intentionally deny Jesus a bed to be born in and laid upon? Not me! We would be totally accommodating.

But would we? Jesus said, "Whatever you do for the least of people you do for me" (Matthew 25:40). He also said, "Whatever you don’t do for the least of people you don’t do for me" (Matthew 25:45). What do we do for other people? What don’t we do for other people?

Kim Pruitt lives in Searcy, AR. She writes about a recent experience while out Christmas shopping:

"As I was walking out of the store, I decided I'd better sit down and check the receipt. I chose a seat next to a nice-looking elderly lady. I asked if she was cold sitting so near the doors and she said she was fine; she was just waiting for her son and daughter-in-law who had a lot of shopping to do. I got up and wished her a Merry Christmas and there was a look in her eye. I couldn't leave this woman to just sit all alone and wait.

I sat back down. She asked if I'd forgotten something. I said, "No, Ma'am. It's just not often that I meet someone so nice. Would it be alright if I sat here with you for awhile?" Her smile was so bright. She thanked me and began talking. I learned all about her family and her past. I learned about her wisdom and her experiences. She was a sharp woman of 84 years and admitted that her physical health was in decline, but she's loved and happy and well cared for. After 45 minutes, her son and daughter-in-law came to get her. I stood and said, "Oh, I suppose I need to get supper started. Thank you for humoring me. It's not often I get a chance to sit at Wisdom's feet." She had tears in her eyes and smiled up at me. She took my hand and whispered, "Thank you, Child. It's not often there is someone willing to sit with me at all. Have a Merry Christmas."

As I left Wal-Mart, behind schedule and tired, I knew. I knew that, although the Christmas Cards were addressed, the gifts were bought, the carols were being sung, and the children were watching "Rudolph"...I knew that only just then had I experienced The Spirit of Christmas." (Spirit of Christmas, Dec. 15, 2009; http://markpruittfamily.blogspot.com/ )

Whatever we do for the least of God’s people we do for him. We can turn those people away, and we turn Jesus away. Or, we can sit down and visit with them, offer them a meal, or serve them in any number of ways. And when we do, we are serving the Lord.

Someone may knock at the inn today. Welcome them in.

Warren Baldwin

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas and New Years are upon us! I hope for all of you and your families a warm and wonderful time together.

I have always enjoyed the Christmas season. The songs, the bright lights, family getting together. When I was a boy I looked forward to grandparents coming over, special meals, playing games. Wonderful memories. Now, I have my own children to create these experiences with. And it is still fun. Children coming home, grandparents coming over, special meals, playing games.


Pic on left: Some of our college and high school girls (and one boy) wrapping gifts in our house for two families our church provided Christmas for.


We are fortunate to live in a country where we have the privilege to enjoy the abundance that we have. Let’s not take that for granted!

We are fortunate to live in a country where we have the means of producing the abundance that is ours to enjoy. Let’s not take that for granted, either.

And we are fortunate to live in a country where as yet we are still free to uphold the name and praise the glory of the one who gives us true abundance for all time: Jesus Christ. May we never, ever, take his grace and mercy for granted!

On Christmas day millions of people will extol the name of Jesus. Is this day his birthday? We don’t know. Is it a good day to extol his name anyway? You bet it is. Any day in which we are privileged to draw breath is a day to "declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9).

Every year when Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s rolls around I am reminded of just how wonderfully blessed I am. A great wife, three wonderful children, terrific grandparents for my children, several church families that love me and my family, plenty of food, a warm house ... and the creme de la creme - a relationship with the heavenly Father and Son who love me and want to save me. That is true abundance, and I hope all of you enjoy these privileges as I do!

Warren Baldwin

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
An angel, Matthew 1:20-21

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means - God with us.
Matthew 1:22-23

My soul glorifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
For the Mighty one has done great things for me - holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
Mary, Luke 1:46-55

Below: Scenes from our Christmas progressive dinner for our youth group.

The video: Our kids regaling us with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" for our church dinner together.

Merry Christmas to All!

WB

Christmas Tree

CHRISTMAS TREE

"Boys, it’s about time for you to get our tree." We lived on a farm in Vermont with acres and acres of pine. In the summer these trees provided cover for our games of cowboys and Indians, playing army, and building forts. In the early winter they provided cover for rabbits, partridges and deer. In early December these pines provided our family with our Christmas tree.

"Boys, its about time for you to get our tree," mom would announce. Jim, Bob and I would pile on the winter clothes and tug on the snow boots to prepare for the three or more feet of snow. We’d grab an ax and a bow saw. Then we’d trudge up the hills that led to the acres of pine.

It was hard work getting this tree. After battling a few hundred yards of deep snow and up hill climbs we’d lay back in the snow for a few minutes catching our breaths. We’d try to catch falling snowflakes with open mouths. We’d bomb each other with snowballs. We’d gang up on one brother and bury him in the snow.

Then we’d turn to the forest. "Which tree? I like that one." "No, too tall, let’s chop that one." "No, it’s too wide, let’s chop that one." I don’t know how three young boys ever reached consensus but somehow we did. Then we’d chop. Chips of pine would fly from the head of the ax. "Stay back! You’re getting too close! If you get hit it’ll be your fault!"

"I’m not too close, you’re just careless. Swing straight!"

The tree would fall. The brothers who voted against this tree would reiterate their disapproval of this selection." "Told you it was too tall." "Too wide, too."

"No," the third brother would say. "This tree is just right."

"Ok then, you drag it back. You like it, you chose it, you drag it."

Every December we would relive this almost-sacred tree ritual. It wasn’t Christmas without it. Sometimes we’d win and our tree was chosen to grace our living room. Sometimes we lost. But always we were three brothers sent on the time-honored tradition of selecting, harvesting and dragging home the family tree.

Mom always rewarded our efforts with fresh cookies and hot chocolate. Our little sister Carol began placing decorations on the full branches. The Christmas season had officially begun.

The world has turned many times for me since those days of childhood innocence, fun romps in the snow, and the annual Christmas tree ceremony. Those were good days of closeness, friendship, family, security.

Fortunately, God in his grace allows us to relive some of those childhood pleasures in the rituals we celebrate every year with our own children.

The setting may be different. I now live on a Kansas prairie instead of a mountainside in Vermont. Snow usually isn’t piled several feet deep in the weeks before Christmas. And, we even use an artificial tree now. But, our family still has numerous special customs that replicate the ones I celebrated as a child nearly forty years ago. The family cycle continues to turn, influencing a new generation of children, my own, to cherish family relationships.

I pray this process is at work in your family, shaping character, creating memories and forging destinies. Whether it is selecting a Christmas tree, baking cookies or hosting family and friends, please take some time to think about how you can use this or any other festive season to glorify God and allow his presence to shine into your family celebrations.
















Warren Baldwin

Forgiveness Has a Face

FORGIVENESS HAS A FACE

A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

"He did it again, but it will be his last time."

"What are you talking about?" I asked Ryan.

"A co-worker up for the same promotion as me undermined my proposal and plans for a project we are working on. His insult left me in a bad light with the boss. If the boss sides with him, I lose the promotion."

"What do you plan to do?"

"At our next staff meeting I am going to turn this whole thing back on him. I’ve been working on my presentation, and it includes a very subtle but fatal attack on him. He’ll never know what hit him, and I’ll ruin his standing in the company."

"Are you sure that is what you want to do," I asked Ryan? "You might hurt him and successfully scuttle his career, which will leave you with the promotion. But what does that say about you and your character?"

"What it says about me is I’m standing up for myself and finally putting this guy in his place," my friend replied.

"Let me encourage you to think about three things. One, are you being too sensitive? Your wrath at how you were treated may be justified. But, are you taking it too deeply and personally? To me, your anger seems to be out of proportion to the insult you experienced. That could indicate a heart that is too sensitive. You may look for reasons to be hurt, and then for reasons to propound the injuries of the offense. We need hearts that are sensitive to the hurts and needs of others, but we do ourselves an injustice when we apply all that sensitivity to our own situations. It isn’t healthy to leave open wounds.

"Secondly, what is your history of feeling insulted, disrespected, and injured? Have you resolved your anger at the perceived injustices perpetrated against you five, ten and twenty years ago? If not, then you are carrying the emotions of those experiences with you even now. So, your response to your current situation is not isolated to this incident alone, but carries the freight and momentum of many episodes over many years. That is not healthy. And, if you confront your co-worker now, you will unload your past grievances with this new one against him. It is not fair to make him bear your animosities held against other people.

"Thirdly, how are you at letting go? Are you able to lay offenses down and forgive the perpetrator? If not, and you continually relive them, you keep negative emotions brewing. You must learn to forgive.

"Genuine forgiveness has a face on it. Without real people and pain to forgive, forgiveness is just an idea. Real forgiveness wears the faces of the people who have hurt you. How are you at letting go, Ryan?

"Remember this commandment from the apostle Peter: "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9). How can we respond so kindly to mistreatment? Remember Jesus. "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23).

Because Jesus bore insult and personal abuse, we can too. We don’t have to seek revenge, get even, or go tit-for-tat. We can overcome hyper-sensitivity, accumulated grievances and difficulty in forgiving. With Christ’s example and empowerment, we can respond in patience and overlook an offense.

Warren Baldwin

One Tough Coyote

One Tough Coyote

Meet the wiliest of all coyotes: Hit by a car at 75mph, embedded in the fender,road for 600 miles - and SURVIVED!

When a brother and sister struck a coyote at 75mph they assumed they had killed the animal and drove on. They didn't realize this was the toughest creature ever to survive a hit-and-run. Eight hours, two fuel stops, and 600 miles later they found the wild animal embedded in their front fender - and very much alive.
















Daniel and Tevyn East were driving at night along Interstate 80 near the Nevada-Utah border when they noticed a pack of coyotes near the roadside on October 12. When one of the animals ran in front of the car, the impact sounded fatal so the siblings thought there no point in stopping. 'Right off the bat, we knew it was bad,' Daniel explained. 'We thought the story was over.'

After the incident around 1am, they continued their 600 mile drive to North San Juan - even stopping for fuel at least twice. But it was only when they finally reached their destination at 9am did they take time to examine what damage they may have sustained.

At first it looked as though it was going to be quite gruesome. 'Daniel saw fur and the body inside the grill,' Tevyn East said. 'I was trying to keep some distance. Our assumption was it was part of the coyote - it didn't register it was the whole animal.'

Daniel East got a broom to try and pry the remains out of the bumper and got the shock of his life. 'It flinched,' Tevyn East said. 'It was a huge surprise - he got a little freaked out.'

'We knew it was bad': Tevyn East, who was in the car when it hit the coyote, bends down to take a look at the fur poking through the fender.

Fur Pete's sake: What Mr. East spotted as he bent down to inspect the damage to his car - the body of the coyote poking out through the radiator.

Wily coyote: The animal's head can be seen as rescuers took apart the front fender to save it after it was struck by the car at 75mph.















Miracle escape: As the animal struggled, wildlife protection officials put a loop around its neck to prevent it from further injuring itself.












The front of the car is completely taken apart as the coyote begins to wriggle free and voila! Tricky the toughest coyote ever rests in a cage after its ordeal - which it survived with just some scrapes to its paw .
















Warren Baldwin

(I received this as an email)

LIKE DIGGING FOR GOLD

LIKE DIGGING FOR GOLD

Talking to our children, especially about their behavior issues, can sometimes feel like we are mining gold. It is hard work, time consuming and wearying! But it is one of our challenges in the parenting role we fill.

One thing Cheryl and I learned with little kids is that you have to keep asking questions. At a very young age children learn the power of language. They can convince mom and dad they need ice cream and persuade grandma and grandpa they need seconds all with the power of words. Too young they develop techniques of persuasion that wrap us around their little fingers.

If you have time, please link over here and read the article I wrote for Titus 2 In Action on conversations with our children entitled Like Digging for Gold.

Thanks to Andrea of Arise to Write for the following award for being in her circle of friends.

The Christmas season is upon us. I hope all of you have a wonderful season!

Warren Baldwin

SOLVING PROBLEMS

SOLVING PROBLEMS

"No problem can be solved until an individual assumes the responsibility for solving it." M. Scott Peck in The Road Less Traveled, p. 39.

I don't think Scott Peck would deny God's role in helping us with our difficulties in life. But I think the point he is making is that we must first admit that we have them!

But just admitting we have problems is too general and too safe, because everyone has problems and we can hide in the sea of general confession without ever really being pentitent, accountable or desirous of change. We must identify specific problems and issues with which we struggle, and admit our role in them.

Do we ever struggle with ...
- Tension in relationships?
- Being suspicious of others' intentions?
- Over scheduling and not leaving enough time for the truly important things (like family, quiet time at home during holiday seasons, devotions, etc.)?
- When we are over scheduled and pressed for time, do we become impatient and irritable with those close to us?
- Saying 'no' to unnecessary purchases, balancing our budget, and saving for the future?
- When money is tight, do we blame our spouse?

All of these problems can add to intense relationship dysfunction and breakdown. That doesn't mean the relationships and our own personal lifestyle can't be improved; but it does mean we have to take an honest assessment and ask what our role in the problem is. "No problem can be solved until an individual assumes the responsibility for solving it."

We can't change others. But, with God's help, we can change ourselves. WB


ANOTHER BOOK GIVE-AWAY

Lisa Shaw of Sharing Life with Lisa wrote a brief review of Roaring Lions, Cracking Rocks and other Gems from Proverbs and is also hosting a book give-away. So, if you would like a chance for a free copy you can link over there and enter. She also has a brief review. Thanks, Lisa! And I will add that I think you will like her blog.



















Winners of the book give-away on this blog were:
Sherry at Luvabargain
Suko at Suko's Notebook
Kara at Eskimo Kisses
Sande at So To Speak
Ana at The Writer Today

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Hopefully next week I'll be able to do another post or two in the series on preventing divorce. The comments on this series have been richer than anything I could write. Thank you!

Warren Baldwin