There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays, like Christmas. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and ...
There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays, like Christmas. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.
One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused.
“That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out, but couldn’t see more than a few feet.
When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside.
The geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away. He went into the house and came back out with some bread, broke it up, and made a breadcrumbs trail leading to the barn, but they still didn’t catch on.
Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.
“Why don’t they follow me?!” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human.
“If only I were a goose, then I could save them,” he said out loud.
Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn – and one by one the other geese followed it to safety!
He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind:
“If only I were a goose, then I could save them!”
Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!”
Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese – blind, lost, and perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized!
As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about, why Christ had come.
Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:
“Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!”
The Writing Team will take a break now, through the end of the year. We will pick up again after our prayer team leads our January fast. Have a blessed Christmas. Lynn, Ann, Ian and Barb.
Christ Born of Mary
Luke 2:1And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Glory in the Highest
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
I was sitting in the sunshine with some Christian friends the other day, and I said this:
“My marriage, as a Christian, is everything. If I pursue all kinds of other things in my faith life, but end up without my marriage, I will have lost a big treasure. Marriage is everything in a Christian’s life. It epitomizes what God is about. He is a God of covenant and he treasures marriage.”
Then I said —
Whoever dies first out of me and my husband, I want the coffin to be there and the one who is left standing to have finished the race. That will be my definition of success: If we have made it to the end, loving each other to the best of our abilities.
I have fought the good fight,I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Tim 4:7-8, NIV)
These friends were two couples. One had been married a year, and one married about fifteen years. They looked up at me and paused, as if perhaps they hadn’t thought of that picture of the coffin before. Perhaps they had. But it felt like a moment where I was sharing a thought that had been long worked out as a result of walking out a spiritually mismatched marriage and deciding how deep my commitment is to marriage. I think as SUMites we give an awful lot of thought to this topic.
What an exercise marriage is!
Last night, Bryce and I sat talking, and as we sat we kind of bubbled into a little disagreement. I said in a feisty way “Are we arguing here?” “No!” he said. “Well you’re being strong-willed,” I replied. “Maybe I am,” he said, “But so are you.” We do bicker a bit these days, having had a lot of time together and grown extremely familiar with each other.
We each genuinely think the other ‘always gets their way’ in our marriage LOL. How do we manage to both feel that way? Clearly we each compromise more than the other one realizes.
Well yes, marriage is as strange as childbirth, as beautiful as a garden, and as perseverant as running a marathon. And God made it.
So ….. whether you’ve been married a little or a long time, here’s a prayer for you today:
That you will run the race well, and finish well. Even if your spouse’s heart is far from you, may you finish well, whatever that looks like in God’s eyes.
Be blessed SUMites, and may your marriages be blessed.
I would like to update you about a few things happening in our “Church Without Walls” so you are aware and can participate.
Our annual community fast will be January 5-9, 2026. I can’t believe I’m typing 2026. Say what? Our Prayer Team at SUM will be leading our fast in the new year. They are already planning. The fast will be themed and we all need what they are going to bring. They will share more in the next few weeks.
I would like to thank everyone who gave an offering to support this ministry and the reach of Jesus to those who are hurting and need encouragement. Giving Tuesday always reveals just how amazing our community truly is. THANK YOU. If you want to read about the seminars, click here.
If you want 2026 to be different than last year, stick with us. There are some awesome things coming to encourage, instruct, and inspire you into greater living in the coming year.
Now mostly, let me be a voice of hope. Jesus helped me through everything. He is our rock. He is truth. He is our power and comfort. He is this for us all. And with Him WE CAN DO ALL THINGS. Don’t forget this truth in the crazy of this season. Take time for selfcare and stay in unity with the Trinity.
Know this. I truly love you. I care deeply about your life, your health, your family, your spouse and your kids. I really do. I pray for you. Heaven knows your name. Take heart:
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33
