A JOURNEY TO THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS - DECEMBER 10TH

I can hear the sound of Gus-Gus now, "Cinderelly, Cinderelly!"  I have loved the movie Cinderella my entire life but today I have a new take on it that I never really connected until now.  Although this is not a religious movie by any means, yet it does have an undertone of Jesus.  I know this may seem a little far fetched but bare with me.  Cinderella was a servant in her house.  She did all the cleaning, all the washing, all the cooking, she did all the stuff that the wicked stepmother and mean old step sisters didn't want to do.  She served them day and night and night and day.  She was at their beckon call.  All they had to do was ring her bell and she would run and answer them.  She provided all their needs and cleaned up the stains on their beautiful dresses.  The whole time she served, she did it with a gladful heart, hoping some day her prince would come and rescue her.  Now you get it?  Can you read between the lines here?

Okay, get this.  In the end, because of Cinderella's faithfulness in serving an ungrateful group of people, her fairy godmother made her dream come true.  At the end of the movie Cinderella married her prince and lived in a palace.  Her wicked stepmother and mean old step sisters got to watch as all of Cinderella's wildest dreams came true all because she served people who didn't deserve to be served.  She sacrificed for years and led a servants life and in the end she was rewarded. 

Jesus led a servant's life, but so did Mary.  At 13 she was told she would be the Mother of God in human form.  At the risk of being stoned to death for getting pregnant outside of marriage, she became a servant.  In the midst of being gossiped about, she became a servant.  In the middle of being ostracized by all her family and friends, she became a servant.  Instead of a lavish wedding ceremony filled with glamour and gifts, she became a servant.  In the midst of all the could have beens and should have beens, she became a servant.  Instead of giving birth in a comfortable home environment surrounded by family and friends to support her, she gave birth in a cave filled with animals and their droppings.  She gave up the life she could have had to serve God.   

Luke 1:38  And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

I am the servant of the Lord!  Those words are hard to say and very risky.  If you're like me you may cringe when you say those words because to be honest we have no idea what God has in mind for us.  Fear sets in sometimes when we utter those words but why?  It shouldn't!  We should proudly say those words and say them out loud, yet we don't.  The risk involved is high, but the yield is so sweet and profound.  Mary, like Cinderella, endured much ridicule and gossip.  People pointed at her and made rude comments.  People laughed at her and made fun of her, but like Cinderella she just continued to serve.  I want Mary's faith!  I want to say, "I am the servant of the Lord", because let me tell you, the reward we will get in heaven will be greater than we could ever imagine.   I may never get rewarded on earth for being a servant of Jesus Christ, and that's okay.  I am storing up my treasures in heaven.  

As tears run down my cheeks, I am going to surrender all of myself to God as His servant.  Join me today!

God, here I am.  All that I am and all that I have is yours.  Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.  In Jesus name I pray, amen!