Tuesday, December 11, 2018

One of My Favorite Days




“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over.  For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”  

Hey Gang:  When is the gift the least of the blessing?  The story of The Good Samaritan in Luke 10 is not one that we hear often around the Christmas season.  But when we look at it, does it not contain all of the attributes that we attach to the Christmas Season?  Read the story and notice the key phrases: “He had compassion; he showed mercy; he gave”. 
  
The priest and the Levite passed by, but the hated Samaritan showed compassion, mercy and gave.  Now back up to Luke 6:35-38 and read Jesus’ instructions on how to be blessed out of your sox this Christmas Season. 

                “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be greater, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is king to ungrateful and evil men.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Do not judge, and you will not be judged, and do not condemn and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned”.

Notice who is the recipient of the blessing when we heed the words of the Master! Note the summation of God’s blessings!

“Give, and it will be given to you, they will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together”, and running over.  For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”  

Now, notice that Luke uses the same word three times in this verse-a very special word.  For what that word says to me is that I have much to say in the blessings I will receive:  I will be blessed in the same measure that I bless someone else.  I believe the Samaritan was abundantly blessed as he cared for the near-death traveler.

Why is December 8 of this year such a special day for me, because the airways leading to the Robin Hood Airport in Big Rapids will be filled with aircrafts carrying very special gifts to every child who is in foster placement and away from their families this Christmas.  Last year more than thirty aircraft arrived at Big Rapids Airport carrying gifts of love, hope and the joy of giving.

It’s a special blessing to me personally, because I come from a flying family and I love to be around pilots and hear their stories.  It is special because I spent seven years as a controller of this airman of the skies and I have tremendous respect for these giving up their day, filling their aircraft with fuel and presents so that a barn full of kids - they will never meet - will wake up to the wondrous news they have not been forgotten and they are loved. 

In the other Morning Message I have talked of the joys of anticipation.  Some of the recipients of these gifts will be at the airport tomorrow to help unload the aircraft.  Why does it create such anticipation in me? Because I see the anticipation in their eyes.  But that anticipation is not restricted to the kid’s eyes, I see it in the staff’s eyes and the pilot’s eyes and especially in “MY EYES”!  It is a day when many staff and volunteers will also be blessed- in the same measure that they have blessed others.

Now think about that for a minute, who bought the gifts, who wrapped the gifts, who transported the gifts to the processing center where volunteers had to match the gift with the letter received from the child; all gifts had to be sequenced by number as to the organization representing the child and the gifts had to be segregated by airports - for you see it is not only Mecosta and Osceola Counties so blessed, pilots will be helping Santa deliver aircrafts full of gifts to airports across the State.

What I am saying to you is - a whole barn full of people who give of huge amounts of time and many, many dollars have but one motive for their sacrificial giving, because they know the story of the Good Samaritan and know what Jesus said: “Go and do like-wise”.   Make this Christmas a special day for a child and it will be a special Christmas for you.

Blessings,

Gramps

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