On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11
Dear North America; please, no more Christmas catalogues in my mailbox. I began the count after Labor Day and have stopped as number fifteen arrived recently. I wonder how long it took the Magi to decide on bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts for the King? Do you suppose that they did their shopping before they left or did it along the way?
The attached photo is of a class that attends the Lutheran School in Saltedere which is in the Central Plateau of Haiti. I doubt that they get many Christmas catalogues there; not a CostCo to be found in their town. While I lived in Haiti not one ‘wish book’ appeared at my address; life was good and it was not hard to focus on the true meaning of Advent and consider what the Christ child meant for me and for these children and for this world.
Not sure what you are shopping for this year, but if you, your family or your Bible study group would be interested in sponsoring the school in Saltedere it would cost roughly $3,300 to feed their school for a whole year. The children attending this school will be sharing the real meaning of Christmas with their family, neighborhood and the generations to come in their lives as their bright lights will sparkle in a country that still has much darkness from vodou. I close todays devotion closes with the words to the hymn ‘Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning’ which was written by Reginald Heber in 1811.
“Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid; Star of the East, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid. Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining; low lies His head with the beasts of the stall. Angels adore Him in slumber reclining, Maker and Monarch and Savior of all. Shall we not yield Him, In costly devotion odors of Edom and offerings divine, gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine? Vainly we offer each ample oblation, vainly with gifts would His favor secure. Richer by far is the heart's adoration; dearer to God are the prayers of the poor. Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid; Star of the East, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay