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| The other day, while flipping idly through channels, I came upon My Big Fat Greek Wedding. If you've ever seen this movie, you'll know that it's probably one of the silliest romantic comedies ever - but it also contains one of the sweetest reminders ever. The basic premise is that Toula and Ian fall in love - and all-American Ian now gets to meet Toula's large, enthusiastic Greek family. To marry Toula, Ian must first be baptized into the Greek orthodox church, which normally takes place when you're an infant. Therefore, it's a pretty ridiculous scene when Ian is baptized in an inflatable kiddie pool as the priest makes his customary chants and Toula's family looks on. Toula's brother whispers to her, "It's not so bad, eh?" Toula says, "Are you kidding? Any minute now he's going to look at me and go, 'Ha, right. You're so not worth this.'" Her brother looks at her and replies, "Yes, you are."
We live in a world that is centered around a value system. We go around asking, How much does that cost? Is this worth it? How much value do I place on this? We count the costs of everything - houses, education, cars, hobbies - even friends and family. If the costs are too high, we simply walk away to find a better deal. If a friendship is too high maintenance, we let the connection fade and build new ones. Just about everything has its worth - even Mastercard has figured this out (to its commercial advantage). So the big question is: What are you worth?
Everyone wants to believe he or she is of worth; there are even humorous websites to determine your value, such as HumanForSale.com and silly quizzes. How is your value determined - by wealth? Attractiveness? Intelligence? Who gets to decide? What detracts from your value? Is there such a thing as inflation and deflation of self-worth???
The answer lies not in silly quizzes or bank accounts or subjective views. In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Ians' actions spoke volumes of what he believed Toula was worth; he did everything for her, be it the ridiculous or the complex. And yet, Toula still wondered whether she was worth it all. This may just be another chick flick, but this moment in the film made me realize that, too often, we question our worth, despite the fact that the answer should actually be pretty obvious. Our value has already been established by someone greater - someone who sees each one of us and knows us. And, just as Ian did everything for Toula in the movie, our worth has already been determined and demonstrated.
Several thousand years ago, on a starry night, a baby boy was born in a lowly stable. His name was Jesus, and He was absolutely perfect: God's plan to redeem a dying world. He was God's one and only Son, and God gave him up to die so that we might live. God sent his beloved Son to earth to die on the cross for all the wrong we have ever done and will do in our lives. He traded perfection for flaws; honor for disgrace. But even as we count our wrongs, number our short-comings, and say, "God, we're not worth it," God turns to us and replies, "Yes, you are."
Eighty more days until Christmas.
But don't wait that long to realize that you're worth it.
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| While in search of resume paper, I found something else instead - a Statement of Faith I'd written up a couple years ago for an internship. Just thought I'd share -
The day my father died was the day God tested my faith. Brought up in a loving, Christian home, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at a young age. My faith developed even as I grew, through high school youth group and then InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in college. After graduation, I found new challenges, both in the city streets with The Boston Project Ministries and behind a desk with a small law firm closer to my Connecticut home. Although there had been bumps and bruises along life's way, in general, all was going well. I had all that I required, as well as things that I did not require but certainly enjoyed having. And then, life stopped. After a year-long battle with cancer, my father lay lifeless in a hospital bed, and all that I had known was no more.
My father was a strong man who had never shown signs of weakness; he seemed indestructible. A good, God-fearing man of natural wisdom and open generosity, all looked to him for answers and assistance - including me. But in the last year of his life, he changed; the cancer in his body took away the man I knew. Constantly tired and in pain, my father was reduced to what he actually was: a mere mortal. Despite my fervent prayers, God let my father die - it was unforgivable. I could not understand why God would take away such a good man that I loved and needed; surely he was more valuable to God's Kingdom alive than dead! In my angry disappointment, I tried to turn away from God, but I failed, for my heart ached with a foreign, overwhelming pain that only the Lord could understand and assuage. In my sorrow, familiar words came to me: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4, NIV). I would never have thought of this verse on my own; I had never felt less like rejoicing. I knew it was from the Lord, and I found that there was, indeed, peace in rejoicing in Him.
On March 8, 2007, my world was shattered, but God was there to pick up the pieces and remind me that He is Lord in all situations. Though I may not understand all that He allows to happen, I will trust the Lord. He holds everything in His hands; there is nothing he does not know or understand, for He created everything. There is nothing that He cannot do. God will never leave me; He is unchanging and constant. I rejoice in the Lord always because He loves me and forgives me my wrongs. I can find peace and light amidst the darkness of death because I know the Lord sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the cross and rise again, defeating death. There is nothing to fear, because I have God on my side. I have the everlasting hope that I will see my father again, even as I meet the Lord in Heaven someday, face to face. So I will say it again: Rejoice! I choose to rejoice in the Lord.
Always.
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| I have always found Christmas day itself to be anticlimactic. After all
the hubbub of Christmas shopping, Christmas concerts, nativity
programs, Christmas caroling, present exchanges, trimming the tree,
parties . . . it's just suddenly
Christmas. The day everyone has been prepping for for the
past few months. Presents are opened. Much food is eaten. Family
gatherings are enjoyed (or endured, whatever the case may be). And 24
hours later, it's over. Another year until the next Christmas.
How did you celebrate Christmas? Was it ripping open present
after present? Was it spending time with the family? Was it going out
to enjoy the holiday festivities in the city? Was it spent watching
Christmas specials? Mine was a combination of all the aforementioned
(if Pirates of the Caribbean and Merv Griffin's Crosswords could be
counted as Christmas specials...). And by the end of it all, I was
spent. And guilty.
Of not spending time with Jesus.
I delivered presents on Christmas morning. I did not think of the reason why.
I feasted with family and laughed with my relations and loved ones. I did not thank the one who loved me most.
I received amazing gifts and thanked the givers. I did not consider the greatest gift of all.
Christmas
has come and gone. But that does not mean we have to forget the meaning
behind it all - Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who came to save us
all by becoming a humble baby, born in a stable and laid in a manger.
His gift is everlasting. It is ever-giving. It is ever-loving.
His gift is Himself.
And it doesn't have to be Christmas for you to receive Him.
Merry Christmas.
And only 365 days until the next one. :)
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| I love Christmas carols, don't you? Christmas wouldn't be the same without the traditional carols and the silly little ditties. One day, I just had the song "Christmas Don't Be Late" stuck in my head. You know... the one sung by the Chipmunks.... gotta love 'em. :)
Check it out.
And smile. Not just 'cause it's a cute, fun song from ages ago (but oh so timeless!), but also because there are only 8 more days until Christmas!!!
Cheers.
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| Has anyone every watched the CGI movie The Polar Express? It's
always on TV nowadays; I happened to flip on the TV one night and
caught the tail-end of it. Based on a popular children's book, The Polar Express
is about a cynical boy who's coming to the realization that jolly
ol' Saint Nick is (gasp!) not real. But lo and behold, this train (the
movie's namesake) appears at his front door in the middle of the night
and whisks him away to the North Pole to meet the
guy-with-the-belly-full-of-jelly himself. When Santa finally shows himself, he gives the prepubescent cynic a bell from his sleigh and tells him:
This bell is a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas,
as am I. Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.
This
is a little silver bell that makes a bright tinkling sound. But
apparently, not everyone can hear its music, as noted by the
cynic-no-more:
Even Sarah [my sister] found, one Christmas, that she could
no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still
rings for me. As it does for all who truly believe.
Ok, warm
fuzzies all around - or no? I almost started laughing. Maybe it's
because my torts professor is always saying "The answer's not in the
book! It's IN YOUR HEART!!!"
How often do we hear those words - "in your heart"? What does
it mean exactly? I don't know about you, but my heart's busy filling
itself with blood and oxygenating it up - I'd hope there's nothing else
in there to clog up all the action of keeping me alive.
Ok, but really. We all sorta know what it means - it means
that whatever's "in our hearts" is an innate thing. It's so much a part
of us that it might as well be providing us our life's blood. It's
important, it's valuable, it's there. It means it's so there that no one should have to tell us where or what it is.
Right?
So what does it mean when The Polar Express
is telling us the spirit of Christmas in our hearts? Why is the bell a
"wonderful symbol of Christmas"? Why is Santa a symbol of Christmas?
What are they all symbolizing??? What does it all mean?!?!
Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.
I mean, seriously, I'm being confuzzled by a children's Christmas movie.
But I did think that it all brought a very good question to mind.
The Polar Express seems to be extolling Santa as the
true meaning - or a symbol, at least - of Christmas. And as time goes
by, the older we get, the less likely we're able to "hear the bell's
ring." Maybe it's due to our cynicism. Or realistic-ness. Or adulthood.
Or the lack of belief. Or the loss of innocence.
Whatever it is, I think The Polar Express has got it wrong.
Its
sugar-coated Christmas air is just that - it sounds good and sweet, but
underneath it all, it lacks substance. It's easy to get caught up in
the sweetness of it all that we don't realize that stories like The Polar Express never actually offer what things like bells and Santa symbolize.... such things are so busy telling us to believe that they forget to tell us what to believe in. It sounds good, but it leaves me hungry for more.
If the true spirit of Christmas meant Santa and presents and
bells, then I'm not sure I'd be so enthusiastic about Christmas. It's
worse than commercialism; it's about getting our heart's desires... for free. We make a wish and BAM! Santa, the grand
judge of naughty and nice, can grant us our desires. Like a slot
machine. Just less unpredictable - since Santa can read our minds, ya
know.
Freaky.
Thank goodness Christmas isn't about an omniscient, overweight
elf or presents or bells or whatever. Let me tell you about the true
spirit of Christmas.
It doesn't lie in you.
Sorry.
The true spirit of Christmas lies in Jesus, who was born in a humble stable and laid in a musty manger.
The true spirit of Christmas is that God loves each of us so
much that he was willing to give us Jesus, whether we are naughty or
nice.
To have the true spirit of Christmas "in your heart," all you have to do is believe . . . .
. . . in Jesus.
That's all.
9 days until Christmas.
Until next time, I hope you find the spirit of Christmas that satisfies, and just doesn't taste good going down.
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