John 3:34-36
"The One that God sent speaks God's words. And don't think he rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to him so he could give it away—a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn't see life. All he experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
When I was a child, the annual Old Soldiers Reunion was a huge deal in our town. Held the first weekend of August, the event is still celebrated today, but with much less fanfare than before. In my “day,” we had a parade on Thursday, complete with floats, bands, horses, and the beauty contestants who would participate in that evening’s “Miss Cleburne County” pageant. On Friday, there was a “kiddie parade,” which was filled with children who were riding on floats, peddling bicycles and tricycles decorated with crepe paper, and more bands and ponies.
One year, my sister and I rode in a float that resembled a big shoe with a giant Panama hat for our “roof” – we were “Tan Shoes and Pink Shoelaces”… a reference to a song popular in the early 1960s. Another year, we rode in a buggy pulled by my aunt’s pony, Tuffy. One year we dressed my cousin as Mickey Mouse, and he pedaled his tricycle... and my mom says that my brother peddled his toy tractor one year dressed as “Farmer Brown.”
The parade on Friday showcased contestants in that evening’s “Little Miss Cleburne County” pageant. As fun and exciting as these parades were, there was an even more exciting component to the Friday pageant. It was a rite of passage for every five-year-old girl in the area to participate in this event. We practiced in hooped petticoats that gave us a “feel” for our overly poufy evening gowns made from taffeta and netting. We rehearsed our talents. And we traveled downtown to a store front on Main Street to review the “loot” that would be presented to the winners. The prizes were extensive… toys, dolls, games, and even a U.S. Savings Bond… all waiting for the queen and her first and second runners-up. You didn’t have to pick one prize… you got them all. For a five-year-old child, this was a “lavish distribution of gifts.”
Now that I am grown, I see that this was really quite ridiculous. As many as twenty or more little girls “competed” in this annual ritual… yet only three were awarded prizes. And lest you think I have “sour grapes,” I must tell that you I won in 1962… cardboard glitter crown, prizes, and all. When we returned home after the pageant, my extended family gathered to celebrate, and I was given money by most of them. The “gifting” continued… and the following year it was much the same for my sister. Still, I think of those equally cute and talented little girls who participated with us. How must they have felt afterward? What must it have been like to see all of that loot in the store windows and know you wouldn’t be getting it?
The Good News of Jesus Christ is that all who believe in Him are winners. Each and every one of us can have the “lavish distribution of gifts” that God has prepared. Not a single one of us needs to be disappointed. Nobody has to feel left out or less than First Place in God’s eyes. Do we have to win a contest to attain this? Do we have to have the best talent or walk better in our fancy clothing? Absolutely not! All we have to do is accept Jesus and trust in Him.
You may win the lottery, beauty contests, sweepstakes, and other competitions. But you will never win anything else as big as what God is offering. There is no entry fee or practice… acceptance and trust are all that He requires. Nothing could be easier to accomplish… and more vital to your eternal future. I don’t know if your prizes will include a cardboard crown with glitter…or even a parade… but I know that you don’t want to miss this! Have you chosen to participate and receive the extravagance of the Holy Spirit? Isn’t it time you did?
©2011 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment