Reflections on Christmas Part I: Lessons from the Dream-Job

This is probably the first time I truly and sincerely appreciate Christmas. It really hit home. The first time I cried in realization of what Christmas truly meant. Not just in the joy of it, but in the loss and the pain it signifies; and then it's end, its ultimate purpose. It hit me like never before.

Because this was the first Christmas I celebrate as a father. And if you're a father (especially one who loves his child) you'd know that you and I would probably never let our child be given as a ransom to save a people. And not just a people but a people who neither know you nor appreciate you, and who probably hate you. People who aren't even on your time. People who are on the NAUGHTY LIST. I can't imagine doing that to my child. I would have to be crazily in love with the other people to let my son go like that. 

And yet.

That's exactly what God the Father did. "For God so loved the world that He sent His Only begotten Son" to die for us. Not after we acknowledged Him or got on His side. But He did it while we "were yet sinners". We were still His enemies. He was sent to pay a ransom for our salvation. 

Thank God He isn't like our mythical Santa who only brings gifts to those who are nice this year. When God sent Jesus We were/are all in the Naughty List. It's ONLY when we receive the Son that we make it to the Good list. Otherwise, we're stuck on the Naughty list till we die or Christ comes the second time. 

Such a move by that Father is unfathomable. Yet it happened. 

His Birthday, Our Party

His Birthday, Our Party
By GDW
23/12/13

We pay homage to the season
But little attention to the Reason
We adore Christmas more than The Christ
The Christmas Tree, than Christ's Cross

Happiness for happiness' sake
Laughs for laughs' sake
Love, Joy, Peace
For love, joy and peace sake?

We'll take the holiday
But forget to make Holy the day
We gift each other
Sister, brother, father, mother
But our lives...
For ourselves we keep

The first gift of Christmas
T'was said in the "Christmas Box"
Wasn't wrapped in colored paper
Didn't come in a big red socks

Not bought in the Christmas' specials
Yet it makes Christmas special
St Nicholas could never deliver it
But that Gift would deliver St Nick

As a politically correct world celebrates
X takes the place of this Gift
We celebrate the time
But are blind to Him who created time

We enjoy the blessings
But hate the Blesser

We sing of a sleigh and a red-nosed reindeer
And that wonderful time of the year
Of white Christmas and jingle bells

But what of that First Gift
And the Tree on which the Gift hung?
What of the Child that was born?
A Son whose Father had freely given?

That we might not hang on the Easter tree
But the Son would be made dead
In our pathetic sinful stead

Would we celebrate his birthday more than Him?
Have a good time at His expense?
Give to others on a whim
But fail to give our all to Him?
Would we eat His cake; deny him a piece?
His birthday, our party

Do we trade His name for a letter in the alphabet?
Do we glorify the message
Ignoring the Glory of the Messenger?
Can we really pursue peace, but deny the Prince of Peace?

Can we watch real Joy grow?
Without seeing pain of the Father who let go?
Or the Son who gladly obeyed?
And for us His life He laid?

As I look on my child with Love
Wishing no pain but life's lessons upon him
I can't imagine giving him up
For an ungrateful sinful people

But the Father did
Knowing we'd reject Him
His Son we treated just morbid
While we were yet His enemies
He sent Son to die for us

And so I cherish that Gift
And that Sweet Holy Name
That a politically correct world
Would trample on in shame

I savour this priceless fellowship
With Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God

Jesus, the great I Am
The ONLY Reason
I dance this season

His Birthday, His Party...

"Ours"

"Ours"

(#musingatlunch)

Ours is a country
Where the leaders are too sick in the head to notice that they are sick in the head
Where investigative journalists are too afraid to investigate
Where the people are too ignorant to know that they don't know
Where the Christians are too complacent to be the salt and light
Where power is too concentrated to be powerful
Where service is too private to be public
Where production is too foreign to be productive
Where justice is too partial to be just
Where law enforcement is too brutal to be lawful
Where deportation is too arbitrary to be legal
Where service is too slow to be delivered
Where goods are too expensive to be good

But

Ours is also a country
Where Grace is sufficient
Where Mercy abounds
Where Beauty surrounds
Where Greatness awaits
While citizens sleep in
Where Light seeps in
Where darkness recedes

Where Change comes
One home at a time

Lessons from the Dream-job : Pre-Conceived Children

By GDW

One of the greatest things about the relationship between our Heavenly Father and us, is that He knew us before the foundations of the earth. We aren't an accident of his design. We aren't an after-thought. And because of this He desires that as parents we also plan and consider our kids before we have them.

The best compliment we could give to our kids is that we thought of them before we could conceive them. Years before I had a chance to have him I thought of (imagined) my son Waiambun. I imagined the fun I'd have with him, the methods I'd use to teach and discipline him. My son (and Lord willing, his siblings) would grow up knowing that I brainstormed—and even settled on some—names for them years before they were born.

Whilst we dont have the capacity to foreknow our kids, we can at least consider the time to have them, who to have them with, and how we'd raise them. So that one day we can genuinely tell them that they were on our minds before they were in their mother's womb. That they were pre-conceived...

And that they are a deliberate result of their parents' love, rather than an accident of lust.

Heavenise day!