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Christmas Memories
Devotional for Wednesday, December 8, 2004 by Vena Poole
Luke 2:7 - And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (KJV)Christmas is a time for remembering. I can remember being an angel in a church play when I was three years old. My tiny part consisted of kneeling before the manger, and later moving a little to the side with outstretched hands toward the manager. Christmas is always an exciting time in the Junior Church, and, of course, the kindergarten class always steals the show! One Christmas, we persuaded a very unwilling teenaged boy to be the donkey in their presentation. For the costume, we put on his head a large, stiff, brown paper bag with large ears and two holes cut for his eyes, and we placed a rug over him to cover up all human parts. Mary rode side-saddle on his back. An intermediate boy student walked beside her should she become unsteady. All went well until the numerous angels, the shepherds, and the rest of the cast became fascinated by this strange creature, moving slowly across the stage -- a creature which had not been present during their haphazard practices. However, we managed to get their attention and all went well.
Soon after that Christmas, I moved away from the area, and I do not know what happened to the teenager. However, I do remember that his home life was not conducive to Christianity. During the passing years, I have even lost his name in my mental filing system. But I do remember how this tall, thin teenager, as the "donkey" character, endeared himself to us all. I know that during the intervening years he has changed greatly in appearance. Regardless, whenever I bring him before the Lord in prayer, I bring a picture of him in my mind as I last saw him -- a teenager. I am confident that God will have an up-to-date picture of him, because His Word tells us that He knows us so well that every hair of our head is numbered. We do not need to know all the latest information about the ones for whom we are praying. We just need to pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to reach out to them and bring them into a closer fellowship with the Father. This prayer will cover every area of a person's life.
Prayer: Our gracious heavenly Father, may we be obedient when the persistent thought comes into our mind to pray for a certain person of our acquaintance. May we learn to accept and use this great resource of prayer as being as easy and as necessary as breathing. We thank You for the example of the One who often resorted to prayer during His walk upon the earth, and in whose name we come into Your presence -- Your Son, Christ Jesus. Amen.
Vena Poole <r-vpoole@csolve.net>
Innisfil, Ontario, Canada
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Today's Music:
Angels We Have Heard On High.