What Makes The Holidays Great? Part Two

If you read Part One, you really need to read this second verse and story to follow. Sometimes we get the feeling that God likes us to be miserable. That really can't be true if He is planning on bringing us to Heaven. There's nothing miserable about Heaven. So let's get a right picture of our Father:
 Matthew 7:7-11 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹ “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? ¹⁰ Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! ¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. (New Living Translation)

Years ago when my kids were still in school, we were serving in a church that was not able to pay us very much. We were there because we knew God wanted us there and made the appropriate sacrifices. Vacations were pretty much out of the question. Christmas was coming and during our family devotions, we discussed our plans for that year. The kids wanted to go to Colorado to snow ski like we had back in the youth ministry I had left to come to that church. Liz and I knew that it was out of the question, but agreed that we would pray like our devotions had told us and allow God to answer our prayer as He pleased. Like most parents, Liz and I wanted to "figure something out to make it happen". God made sure that we did not mess it up. The closer we got to Christmas, the more we knew that only God could answer that prayer. One day their was a knock on the door. When I got to the door, no one was there. The mailbox was right at the door, and there was an envelope sticking up from the box. Inside the envelope was a stack of one hundred dollar bills and a note. The note said that we were forbidden to catch up on bills or anything like that with this gift. We were instructed to go away and spend Christmas in a memorable way. About that same time, a travel agent told me about a ministry to ministers that provided free condo rentals in the mountains of Colorado. We called and had a three bedroom condo assigned to us for just the right dates. It was a wonderful vacation and a wonderful lesson. What was the lesson?

My wife and I could have gone into debt to "make" a wonderful holiday memory. We would have thwarted the teaching to our children (and to us) that God is sufficient and often goes far beyond just meeting our needs. Instead of the lust of the flesh being the source of our celebration of God, it became a gift from our Father in Heaven. Make it a point to allow God to be the source of your celebration. Tell Him your hearts desire that is in keeping with His character and revealed will in the Word. Allow Him to do what only He can do and accept that whatever He chooses to do is because He loves you. He is not trying to make us miserable, but He does want to make us like Jesus.