For God so loved...

"For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son..."

John 3:16

John 3:16...one of maybe the best known verses in the Bible. I mean you see it at football games, on street signs, etc. It's everywhere. I wonder if familiarity leads to overlooking the power of a thing? This verse means something different to me and my husband this year. Just the other night Jer looked at me and said something to the effect of "could we give her up?" Just the thought of giving my child for another and at that, for others who don't deserve her or really care that we gave her little innocent life. I immediately thought of the verse "while we were yet sinners...Christ died for the UNGODLY!" WHOA! Not only did God give up His only begotton, He gave Him up for sinners! People that would reject Him, misconstrue His message, take Him out of context, say His name in vain, produce programs proving He didn't exist or that He was just a hoax, nail Him to a cross...those are the ones He gave Him for. I am one of those "ones." We all are one of those "ones." (for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God) I don't think I could give Zoe up if my life depended on it and that is what He did...He gave His Son for those who didn't deserve Him.

At a time when Christmas is becoming a "Happy Holiday" maybe we should all slow down and really meditate on what He gave. Isn't it unbelieveable that God, knowing all, would do what He did? It blows my new mother mind. May this Christmas bring us to a fresh understanding of His ultimate gift...the God-child, the Man who would die to take away that which we can do nothing about nomatter how hard we might try. The One who lives today...may we find that One in a deeper way this year. Merry CHRISTmas! May it be filled with Jesus, the one perfect gift...

"In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." I John 4:10