Worthy

Every year I watch the movie "The Nativity Story" and every year I am moved to tears. I popped it in as I fluffed my fake tree's limbs and it had almost come to an end and still no tears. But then in happened. The old, wrinkly, lonely, humble shepherds arrived to see the baby. Reaching out a hand towards the baby only to pull it back not wanting to soil the baby with his touch. Then she did it- Mary held him up to the old man and told him that the baby was a gift for everyone. He reached out and touched the baby, the gift, the savior. The tears began to flow and the prayers followed.

How can someone not feel worthy? Certainly people don't feel that way today? But they do.

I grew up in a home that was always full of worship and service. A home where I had no question of my access to the Creator of the Universe. No question of my value as a human being or a daughter of the King. In fact I remember very clearly my father reading through the Bible pointing out strong women  to me. Not only women of the Bible but women in politics, and women of history. He made sure my sister and I graduated college. He made sure that our worth was known to us not only as children of God but as women. What a gift.

Watching that old shepherd reminded me that there are so many people who have not been told of their value. Told of their worth. Told that they can freely walk into the presence of the ONE TRUE AND ONLY GOD. There are no tasks to be accomplished, no offerings to be made, no payments to be paid,  no journeys to be traveled. It's all been taken care of by a little baby who came to us for all of us.

I am worthy, not because of me, but because of Christ. He makes me worthy. He gives me value. He gives me hope!

What if we stop declaring to everyone who will listen that Jesus is the reason for the Season and start showing people that they have value and worth? What if we share this hope that we have? What if we feed the poor and declare them worthy of LOVE, what if we welcome in those all alone and declare them worthy of RELATIONSHIP, what if we welcome in those who have been beat down and declare them worthy of HOPE? I think somehow when we do this and share that we have this to offer them because of Jesus then they will understand the reason for the season.

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