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An Advent Greeting and Christmas Thoughts
A few months back, I got to thinking about our two-slot toaster and how inefficient it was in making the toast or waffles for our three kids. Three slices of bread or three waffles required two push downs of the lever. But if I had a four-slot toaster, THEN I could make the breakfast meals faster (after all, it is these little daily hacks that make parenting youngsters a wee bit simpler). I went to Craigslist and found a four-slot toaster for $7. After buying it, I needed to sell our two-slot Kitchen-Aid, so I listed it on Craigslist.
Within a day, a woman contacted me inquiring about my toaster. She wanted to buy it for some furnished rental place she and her husband were setting up; we agreed on a time and place to meet to make the sale work out.
The location happened to be one of the two high schools here in the community. It was a bustling Saturday morning in the school parking lot. There was even a line to pull into the driveway! She had requested to meet at the school that morning, at that time, since she was there already with her kids.
I texted her all my details of make, model, and color of our van. I texted her the direction I was facing (East) when I had finally parked and I even texted her where in the lot I was parked. She could not find me in all the Saturday morning activity of the lot. Cars were coming and going. Kids and parents were weaving in and out of the maze like ants. And the sun was so bright that it hurt the eyes if one had not remembered to tote the sunglasses.
Then I began to tell her what I was wearing - a blue shirt and jeans with a black fleece. I climbed out of my van and strolled around looking for a lady in a navy and white striped shirt. Then, after five or more minutes I went back to the van and opening the door, I climbed up on the floor and stood so my head and chest were above the van's roof. It was only then, that I saw her. I waived frantically and called her name.
She did not see me, because she was not paying attention even with all the directions I had given her. She had was wandering around while talking on her phone and leading her kids simultaneously.
I had to keep shouting and waiving and finally she meandered over to the aisle I had said I was in all along. I climbed down and went over to her, "Are you the person selling the toaster?" she asked with a bewildered look. "Yes, I am." I smiled and tried to make light of the situation with a "Wow, that took some effort!" kind of joke.
She did not smile, as she told the person on the phone to "hang on," and she even went on to infer that the reason it took so long to make this all work out was my fault. Because I was the one not paying attention to directions? Having my head in a phone conversation? Wandering aimlessly? Not looking for the clear signs of my person and my vehicle? Right, that was my fault.
I made the sale and even though I did get $15 cash, I felt sad. I came on her terms, at her time and her desired location. I gave her ample description for myself and my van. I even went above and beyond and attempted to hunt for her in the busy lot. I climbed and shouted from my van rooftop looking like a fool since everybody around me looked at me with puzzled stares wondering, "Why is that lady on her van screaming for Laura?"
If we want a toaster, we have to pay attention, get our heads out of the phone or whatever it is that has captured our attention, and we have to look and listen for the person calling to us and giving us directions to mark the advent of their arrival in the busy parking lot.
And so it is with God. We have to pay attention, get our heads out of the phone, the sand, or whatever it is that has captured our attention, and we have to look and listen for the Person calling to us and giving us directions to mark the Advent of His arrival in the busyness of life and the world.
People long ago in Jesus' day missed His arrival because they did not look and listen to the directions they were given. People still today do not hear or see Him and they wander around sort of sometimes half-heartedly looking, but they wander aimlessly.
The blessed people that God had chosen - the Hebrews, through which to bring Messiah to the world, had been given descriptions of what to look for to know Messiah was coming, that He came, and that He was who He said He was.
The historically verified holy books of Moses (Torah - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), Nevi'im (Prophets - Joshua, Judges, Kings, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the 12 Minor Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings - Ruth, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon/Songs, Lamentation, and Daniel) all contain numerous words that give specific indicators of Messiah's birth, life, and death.
For my toaster sale, I could only provide a few details to the buyer of how and when and where to find me. Yet, there are over 300 words written in verified texts about Jesus' birth, life, and death so that there could be NO mistaking Him or missing Him. Look to the resources available that list the Books and Verses of the Old Testament and compare them with the words from the New Testament to see the detail and accuracy God went to so that His message of Love and Salvation was clearly obvious.
My toaster buyer, Laura, was too preoccupied with her phone conversation and her rental place set-up to pay attention. She got lost in the maze of the lot and did not look up to my waiving and shouting. When we are given descriptions of what to look for and our hearts are hardened or distracted still, and we blame the message giver for not "doing a good enough job of it," but the message giver has given ample information and has put in a lot of care and consideration, whose fault is it that there is a miss?
Is it God's fault that we think He is absent or missing? Or, are we just not paying attention to the signs? Is it God's fault that we are too self-absorbed to hear or see Him? Or, ought we make other choices with our time and efforts to indeed be in quiet circumstances where He will meet us?
Good thing I did not give up on the toaster buyer; it would have been easy to do that. The only thing that kept me in that lot waiving for her and shouting her name was a promise I made to show up at a certain time and place.
So maybe the Hebrews missed Messiah's first coming because they had their heads buried in the sand and did not see or hear, or maybe they were too distracted by the cares of the world, or maybe their hearts were hardened and wanted Him on their terms and conditions and would not accept Him otherwise. Maybe we have missed Jesus in the past because we did not know, or did not care to know. It does not actually matter...
The Guy selling the toaster is STILL in the parking lot right this minute shouting our names, waiving His arms and wanting to get our attention. But what you and I should know is that what He is selling is actually FREE and it is way better than any kitchen appliance could ever be. It is way cooler, and brighter, and shinier, and tons more expensive than ANY gift you and I can or ever will give or receive. Are you curious about what this gift may actually be like? Have you ever received such a perfect gift?
In the Scriptures of long ago, God gave us hundreds of descriptions to find Him. That is His promise. His promise still stands today for all people. All we have to do is believe the promise, look for Him, and accept His unconditional gift.