Author: Jon Gauger

The wonder of children…is their sense of wonder.

At three years of age, Lucy is full of wonder.  But the Christmas season has a way of drawing it out, like nothing else.

Along with her three siblings, Lucy was intrigued with the idea of visiting a live nativity.  The Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville, Florida does it up big.  Think 8,000 square feet of big!  Think thousands of visitors walking about the streets of a recreated city of Bethlehem—some walls towering 20 feet in the air. 

Don't be frightened off by all the yelling

Hear the sounds of the sheep?  Don’t get too near the camel, please.   And don’t be frightened off by all the yelling.  Those are merely the voices of Roman guards reminding you to pay your taxes. 

As you snake your way through the crowded streets, passing by period-costumed artisans, merchants and beggars, it’s easy to travel back in time.  Easy to feel as if you are no longer merely reading Luke 2, but living it.

Little Lucy took in all of this.  And in whatever way three year olds process this much stimulation, she tucked it all away.  Yet it all came bubbling out a night or two later. 

From her car seat, she blurted out…

Her mother was driving the kids down the same road that led to the living nativity.  This was not their destination, but even in total darkness, Lucy somehow made the connection. 

From her little car seat, Lucy blurted out, “We are near Jesus Christ! He’s close to us! We are almost to where Jesus is!"

Come near.

She was right.

More right than she knew. 

The One who came at Christmas and called Himself the Good Shepherd still walks bleak hills on cold nights in search of lost souls.  Though you may at present feel far away from Him—He longs for you to come near. 

Acts 17:27, “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

“We are near Jesus Christ!”

 

 

 

He is every teacher's nightmare—the pain of the preschool, according to my wife, Diana.  Just look for the boy grabbing toys away from others.  Or shoving kids in line.  Or hitting the child that ticks him off.  That's Garrett.

He plays too rough. Talks too loud.  Cares too little about anyone or anything other than himself. Having heard so many stories about Garrett, I was most interested in meeting the little tyke as I showed up with my camera bag. 

Like Herding Cats

My wife has a rich tradition of taking a Christmas class photo in front of a floor-to-ceiling wall mural that looks like a Bethlehem neighborhood.  Every child is dressed up in a costume that represents a character from the Christmas story and I was there to capture it all on my Nikon.

The outfits are adorable, but collecting 15 preschoolers and attempting to dress them up is like herding cats.  Fortunately, this was not the first rodeo for Diana, or her capable assistant teacher, Kathy,

Unusually Quiet

At last the kids were dressed and ready to head off to the photo room.  But Garrett was unusually quiet.  I saw him stare at the folds of the shepherd's robe hanging from his shoulders.  Saw him gawk at the sight of white angel wings and fuzzy halos.  Saw him ponder the sparkle of wise men who had come from afar.

And then the sweetest little voice sang a familiar refrain: “Go, tell it on the mountain…Over the hills and everywhere!”  It was Garrett.  Lost in the wonder. 

Ruffians and Ragamuffins

Consider: the most unlikely kid in the class was perhaps the only one who truly “got it.”  Yet isn't that the way it has always been with this gospel story of ours?  It's the ruffians and ragamuffins, the “tax collectors and sinners” Jesus called them—who often get it before the rest of us  so called  “refined” folks.

Aren’t you glad Jesus came for scoundrels–like you and me?

It's the one last Christmas gift he invites her to open.  It’s a small box.  Inside, a key.  It goes with the (CUE THE MUSIC) Lexus sitting in their driveway.  The one with the massive red bow on top.   She gives him a look, then a kiss (MUSIC SWELLS), and they roar off down the road happily ever after as the voice-over invites us to get in on the gift giving. 

Who DOES this?

Am I the only one watching these commercials wondering, “Who DOES this?!   Who gives their wife or husband a Lexus or Lincoln MKZ as a Christmas gift?

Answer: Enough to justify the ad campaign.

 

Not Sweating the Price

According to car buying site Edmunds.com, in seven of the last twelve years, more luxury cars were sold in December than any other month.  Better deals come after Christmas, but if you're thinking your sweetheart needs keys to a new Mercedes under the tree, you're probably not sweating out the price.

To my scale of thought—and income–this is outrageous.  Over the top.  Extreme.

Yet…maybe it's a better metaphor for Christmas than I've given it credit.

How else can we describe the (indescribable) gift of Jesus at Christmas.  King of the Universe.  Owner of it all.  Inventor of water.  And babies.  And kisses. 

Outrageous!

Jesus, the wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father and Prince of peace is our gift.  And He came with the idea of giving one inexplicable gift—His own life…in exchange for ours.

Outrageous!  Extreme.  Over the top!  Makes even the most expensive Ferrari look like rusty trash by comparison.

However, the gift of salvation Jesus offers bears a striking resemblance to the car keys given in the TV commercials.  Unless you grab them and unlock the door, it's not much of a gift.

Have you opened the door of your heart to the gift of Jesus?

It was just a small pine bough there on the sidewalk.  But I was obliged to pick it up and take it to my office. 

I have always loved the smell, the look—even the feel of pine trees.  It must go back to my childhood at Christmastime. To this day, the smell of a pine tree brings back so many happy memories, and whenever I pass by a Christmas tree lot, I like to stand there and just sniff the air.

 

My favorite restaurant in the entire world is called White Pines and at home you’ll find a soap bar my wife gave me, whose fragrance is pine.  

Smelling Scrumptious

Every December, I walk by Chicago office buildings festooned with pine branches. Often, I stop and inhale the beauty.  But a recent walk in the rain confirmed a theory I have long held. It was drizzling and the smell of cut pine boughs wired to a fence was scrumptious.   Somehow, rain brings out the pine smell.  I don't know why.  I don't know how. I only know that it does.

Rain on Your Party

This Christmas, our hopes are high for family gatherings without strain, shopping without stress (and other highly unrealistic wishes).   The truth is it's probably going to rain on your party.  Not pretty fluffy snow.  Ugly rain.  Cold and yucky wetness.

Fragrance in You?

And it may all seem a bit disappointing.  But if you know Jesus, the unwanted rain can actually bring out His fragrance in you.  As 2 Corinthians 2:15 puts it, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

When others see the real Jesus lived out in real problems, it makes for a remarkable fragrance in an otherwise stinky world.   I don't know exactly why.  Or how.  I only know that it does.

 

This Christmas…

• Plan on some rain. 
• Stay close to Jesus. 
• Enjoy the fragrance!

Confession.  I keep some contact names in my Outlook address book even after they have passed away.  A former boss.   A friend.  I just can’t bring myself to delete their names.  For example, there’s this guy I met in the pulpit of a church in Romania.

It was one of the first times I ever preached in Ploiesti, the oil producing town an hour north of Bucharest. Stefan (not his real name) stood next to me and translated the message with remarkable ease—despite my rookie ways. 

He Never Complained

Stefan was not a large man, but he had a huge heart.  His intelligence extended beyond linguistics into technology.  He had a responsible job, a beautiful wife, a baby boy, and it was a pleasure to get to know him. Every year when I visited Ploesti, Stefan would faithfully translate my sermon, never complaining when my sentences were too long. 

You can understand how I began to look forward to being with him—if only for a short time in his church.  We emailed some throughout the year between visits.

Impossible News

Then came the Sunday we headed off to church and I was informed Stefan would not be translating for me—ever.  A car accident.  You can imagine my shock.

This past November—more than ten years after the accident—I spoke in that same church.  There in the front row was this man’s widow, and seated next to her, the little boy that was now a young teenager. 

We met afterwards and I could not resist reminding the boy of what a great father he had.  Of how intelligent he was and—better than that—how humble he was.  The boy seemed to nod his head without much emotion.  Too young to remember. 

Their Deeds Follow Them

But not me.  I remember him.  And his wife remembers him.  And many others whose lives he touched remember  him, too.   That’s the way it is with those in die in Christ, for as John writes in Revelation 14:13, “their deeds follow them!”  

I cannot bring myself to hit the delete key on this man’s contact page.

Now you know why. 

They came from entirely dissimilar cultures.

They gathered from opposite sides of the ocean.

They spoke languages different from each other.

Yet they sat down and enjoyed each other’s company, getting to know each other over a Thanksgiving dinner together.

 

Something More Current

You are perhaps envisioning the Massachusetts meal we know today as the first Thanksgiving. Yet I have in mind something much more current.

 

I'm thinking of a series of “Thanksgiving meals” we shared days ago in Sofia, Bulgaria at Moody Radio’s Global Partners Training.  More than a hundred Christian media professionals gathered from nearly a dozen nations: Romania, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Austria, Kenya, Germany, India–and Bulgaria.

 

All Those Languages, But…

Imagine the diverse mix of languages and cultures. Yet we shared one profound common bond—a love for Jesus the Christ. Consider the difference that made on a practical level.

 

Without knowing a thing about the people we ate with, we knew enough that we could relax and enjoy them.  Without knowing a word of their language, we communicated powerfully around the person of Jesus. Without any understanding of cultural nuances, we connected deeply.

 

And it didn’t happen just once.  Or twice. It happened all week long!  In that sense, every meal was a Thanksgiving meal. 

 

Still Another Proof

For me, this is an unexpected apologetic for the Christian faith.  I have been privileged to travel to some 35 countries.  Wherever there are Christ followers, they always take care of you.  You’re family—even if you’ve never met.  This sense of family is not mere sentiment or projected religiosity.  It is a bond I have witnessed in some intense situations. 

 

So if you know Jesus, it means two things at this unusual holiday:

• First, you can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal anywhere on the planet—and be with family. Really!
• Second, the ultimate reason for our thanks is Jesus—who MAKES us one family. 

Interesting Windows

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul.  If that’s true, there are some mighty interesting windows out there in God's animal kingdom.  Take, for example, the giant squid. 

Most animals’ eyes are smaller than oranges.  But—try to picture this–a giant squid's eye is larger than your head!

Goat’s eyes are not nearly as large, of course.  But they do have a unique feature.  Their pupils are rectangular shaped.  This means they can see a panoramic view of 320-340 degrees—and can almost see behind themselves. 

Seeing Behind You

Seeing a lot is one thing.  But seeing it well is another.  Consider the Mantis shrimp.  At one foot long, it is said to have better eyesight than any other animal.  Quite a claim!

But for something that comes close to a death stare, check out the Stargazer.  This interesting fish slyly buries itself in the ocean sand.  When a fish of prey swims by, the Stargazer fish shoots 50 volts of electricity from its eyes to stun the prey.  

A bit less dramatic is the common reindeer.  With the coming of winter’s longer days, the reindeer's eyes—typically a shade of gold—change to blue.  Next time you see Rudolph on the TV special, see if the animation artists were accurate.

Creep-Me-Out

For sheer creepiness, it's tough to be beat the vision of a scallop.  It has—get this—100 eyes around its shell.

No slouch in the creep-me-out department is the Ogre-faced spider.  It has not one pair of eyes…but four.  That's right…eight individual spider eyeballs!  That makes it the best seeing spider in the world. 

God seems to place a premium on eyesight—literal and spiritual.  Check out 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him….”

What does God see when He sees you?

If you could live your life over again, what would you do less of?

Here's what Thursday Thought readers have told me:

Ron wrote, “I think I would invest less in people and spend more time in relationship with the Lord of the universe.  Not that there is anything at all wrong investing in people.  Just that looking back, I haven't been too successful at it.”

Russ told me, “I would work less…be less concerned about work…and spend more time with my wife and kids! Work will always be there. Kids grow up and leave. Age brings potential limitations. Enjoy family life to the fullest while you have the opportunity..”

Less Work Time

Buddy's looking-back-list is just like Russ's: “Less work time and more time in general with my family.”

Carolyn said, “If I could do it all over again I would spend less time in worry and more time praying, especially for my son and his family.”

Marion agrees.  She would do less worrying adding, “I definitely wasn't trusting that God had me just where He wanted me.”

"I Wanted My Family to Have Stuff"

Larry expressed himself with an eloquence that is raw—and painful:  “I worked second shift for years because I had a job running a melt furnace in a foundry.  It paid well and I wanted my family to have STUFF.  I now realize that the time I spent at work was time I missed with my kids and wife.  My wife helped my son with his Eagle project, not me.  She raised our kids, but they had STUFF.  I would spend less time working and more time 'Dadding.'”

Our One and Only Opportunity

Christians love to comfort themselves with the reality that heaven is our true destiny.  And it is!  That's where our focus ought to be.  But let's not forget that this life we have now is our one and only opportunity to shape that eternity. 

Which means…there are some things we must do less of.  Which things?  Wish I could tell you.  But that's a matter for prayer.

Psalms 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

An Unguarded Moment
For months now, Americans have been pushed, polled and prodded with political talk.   We've been blasted with TV ads, blistered by web coverage and broadsided by office talk.  We've watched debates, had debates of our own and the election is nearly upon us. 
 
In an unguarded moment, I made the decision to go out on a limb and make some very specific election predictions.   With full awareness that some future “fact checker” may wish to hold me accountable, I stand by my claim that these insights are given with 100% certainty.
 
Prediction #1
On Wednesday, November 9, Americans will wake up to knowledge of our newly elected president…and the annoying TV ads will finally go away!  Really!
 
Prediction #2
God will still be on the throne.  Don't stay up late Tuesday night worrying.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was and who is to come—the Almighty!” (Revelation 1:8).
 
Prediction #3
Sinners will still be sinners.  Which means the gospel message will be as relevant and life-saving as ever.  
 
Prediction #4
Americans will still be open to the witness of a caring neighbor, a loving friend, and a servant-hearted co-worker.  Perhaps more than ever!
 
The way I see it, no matter who wins the presidential election (and personally, I believe it matters a lot), Jesus followers will need to follow Him more closely yet.
 
Final Predictions:
On Wednesday, November 9:

1. The fields will still be white for harvesting… 
2. The flames of Hell will still be roaring…
3. The Holy Spirit will still be convicting…
4. The Gates of heaven will still be welcoming…

 
So by all means, cast your ballot for the candidate of your choice in this presidential election year.  Then get to work sharing Christ—the only choice that leads to eternal life.

The idea was doomed from the start. In a well-intentioned attempt at physical fitness, I agreed to play racquetball with my son, Tim, during my lunch break. Though I love the sport, it (apparently) no longer loves me. Tim and I discussed the fact that he is about half my age. We agreed we’d both “take it easy” and play “just a little bit.” Five weeks afterward, my throbbing back still reminded me I shouldn’t have even attempted playing “just a game or two.”  

It’s one thing to overdo it in sports, but what about the rest of life?  In the book, If I Could Do It All Over Again, I sat down with 28 well known Christian leaders.  We talked over some tough questions. Asking them what they would do less of yielded some interesting answers.

Joni Tada told me, “I would look at a lot less news on the television. Sometimes it becomes a fixation. It can depress my spirits.” 

Ravi Zacharias said, “I wouldn’t worry as much. God is completely in control.”

Tony Evans admitted, “I love sports. I love watching sports and keeping up with sports. But I would probably spend a little less time on sports if I could do it all over again.”

What would Gail MacDonald do less of? “I would do a lot less hurrying.  It was Dallas Willard who said, ‘Be ruthless with hurry.’”

Preacher and author Tim Keller confided, “I would do less surfing of the Internet, without a doubt. I think the Internet is a friend of information but an enemy of thought. It’s great at snippets of information, but it doesn’t help you think or reason.”

Singer Michael W Smith confessed, “I’d be less concerned about ‘How many records did we sell this week?’ Less of that whole immature thing of trying to be recognized, trying to be accepted.”

So what would YOU do less of, if you could do it all over again?  Email me your thoughts at jon.gauger@moody.edu.