--From Michael James Stone
People ask me what I want for Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, or any number of Holidays when they are reminded to think of me.
When they do, if they like me, they want to express that by a gift.
Often I have frustrated those who don’t know me, even family, because when asked what I want, I say….. nothing. I tell them I want nothing.
The reason is because it is easier to tell them I want nothing than to explain what I really want.
Gifts often have strings. And the tie that binds in tenderness the giver with the gift and receiver, can work like a noose to hang the giver and receiver alike. Strings like acknowledgement, gratitude, a gift in return, appreciation, all these seem common place on the surface, but they are strings none the less.
He could have made several conditions on it and some say “Ya Gotta” to a certain number of precepts to “really really really be saved”. Frankly God knows and God did so the “conditions” he says aren’t really conditional but practical.
He gave the gift of grace for the reason of salvation because you couldn’t save yourself from a wet paper sack if you fell into it with a knife.
I like Truth. People who just come up to me and say, “WHOOPSIE I blew it”, I enjoy. I like that because I can identify with them admitting they blew it.
Because I have blown it and still do. In fact, I know that everyone else knows that in some ways we are all screwed up. Screwed up inside and out. And given a chance we will really screw up a good thing big time.
But when they offer excuses, lies, denials, apologies, even “reasons”, I have no interest in them at all. I know sooner or later, with that idea, they will fall again,…… and again, ….and again…., till finally they just say I blew it.
God already knows me in the future and past. He saw me really blow it day after tomorrow and still decided it was a good thing to give me “salvation” because he knew it was more on His part than mine to “not screw it up”.
It is the process God uses to change us slowly as we screw up less. Screwing up less is called God’s plan of salvation. It’s not your plan or mine. It’s not your ability or mine to do or abuse. In fact, though there are reasons you really don’t want to “screw it up”, it has more to do with pain and suffering consequences on your part, then God’s Will and Plan for you in salvation.
When an angel said I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, It wasn’t about Jesus birth, that was nice, that was cool, it was good thing. What the great tidings were is that “salvation”, the process of God in your Life, would be offered to all mankind by Grace, once Jesus had died for you.
After that, I really don’t get excited when people give me gifts. Like John I would rather see, or hear, that a person “walks in truth”.
Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Channukah, Kwanza, today, tomorrow, you were a given a gift.
What I really want, they can’t give.
Gifts often have strings. And the tie that binds in tenderness the giver with the gift and receiver, can work like a noose to hang the giver and receiver alike. Strings like acknowledgement, gratitude, a gift in return, appreciation, all these seem common place on the surface, but they are strings none the less.
In some cases those strings can trip you up.
Grace was God’s gift to mankind.
He could have made several conditions on it and some say “Ya Gotta” to a certain number of precepts to “really really really be saved”. Frankly God knows and God did so the “conditions” he says aren’t really conditional but practical.
After all Jesus said it like this,
“I am not here to stop you from falling off a cliff, if you really want to,
Do it.”
“ I am here to tell you that there is a cliff in front of you
and I really don’t want to watch you fall over it.”
God is like that, practical first, loving always.
He gave the gift of grace for the reason of salvation because you couldn’t save yourself from a wet paper sack if you fell into it with a knife.
I like Truth. People who just come up to me and say, “WHOOPSIE I blew it”, I enjoy. I like that because I can identify with them admitting they blew it.
Why?
Because I have blown it and still do. In fact, I know that everyone else knows that in some ways we are all screwed up. Screwed up inside and out. And given a chance we will really screw up a good thing big time.
I like people who admit it when they do.
I feel better, I don’t feel so alone.
But when they offer excuses, lies, denials, apologies, even “reasons”, I have no interest in them at all. I know sooner or later, with that idea, they will fall again,…… and again, ….and again…., till finally they just say I blew it.
Then I can say, I know, and we get along.
God already knows me in the future and past. He saw me really blow it day after tomorrow and still decided it was a good thing to give me “salvation” because he knew it was more on His part than mine to “not screw it up”.
That’s what Grace is from God.
A non-screw up plan for screw ups like you and me.
It is the process God uses to change us slowly as we screw up less. Screwing up less is called God’s plan of salvation. It’s not your plan or mine. It’s not your ability or mine to do or abuse. In fact, though there are reasons you really don’t want to “screw it up”, it has more to do with pain and suffering consequences on your part, then God’s Will and Plan for you in salvation.
That is One hellluva gift.
When an angel said I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, It wasn’t about Jesus birth, that was nice, that was cool, it was good thing. What the great tidings were is that “salvation”, the process of God in your Life, would be offered to all mankind by Grace, once Jesus had died for you.
That’s one helluva a gift.
Jesus died for you.
After that, I really don’t get excited when people give me gifts. Like John I would rather see, or hear, that a person “walks in truth”.
Truth is, you’re as big a screw up as I am.
Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Channukah, Kwanza, today, tomorrow, you were a given a gift.
Are you going to unwrap it?
Yes,
You already know how so don’t go there.
