Kindness is Free

The clichés’ go both ways.

We warn each other about businesses with bad customer service, and we marvel when we receive excellent customer service.

For those of us in the customer service industry, we also complain about how mean customers can be, and it makes our day when customers are deliberately kind.

We were talking about it at our store this week. It doesn’t cost anything extra to be kind, either for the customer or the business. Kindness is free. We charge the same and we give our best customer service whether someone is purposefully condescending or if they are refreshingly complimentary.

Kindness is free.

I’m not sure why someone I have never spoken to before, would purposefully speak down to me, act rude and demanding, as a way to begin a working relationship. I can’t see how it benefits them, and it is certainly not a pleasant experience for me. They don’t seem to understand that being kind does not take away anything from them, because

Kindness is free.

In the same day, another customer went out of their way to compliment my shirt, ask about my day, and chat pleasantly about how they were learning to be more thankful for the little things in their life. It lifted my spirits and I also thought about the things I had to be thankful for. It did not take her any longer or rob her of anything to speak positively. She wished me a good day and I reciprocated. We both left the conversation with a smile because

Kindness is free.

It is easier to be kind when we have experienced the kindness of God. The Bible says it is God’s kindness that draws people to Him. (Romans 2:4)

          What about you? Have you received a random or deliberate act of kindness   recently? Didn't it feel great?

Greatest Job in the World

     It was our last stop and the climax of our 10-day tour of Israel; the Garden Tomb. Our escort through the beautiful garden grounds was a white haired man with a British accent, named Alistair. He led us along the stone path, through the well maintained trees, flowers and shrubs. I had forgotten the site of the tomb where Jesus was buried was so peaceful. Just outside the tall stone walls traffic and people hurried to their destinations. But inside the garden, a calm slowness could be felt. The spacious grounds held small areas tucked away for prayer and reflection.

  

On past trips I was always anxious to hurry to the main attraction, the highlight of the trip and one of the proofs that Jesus rose from the dead – the empty tomb.  But this time, our group walked to the slower pace of our elderly guide. He led us to a shaded spot with a straight view of the rock cliff that looked like a skull, called Golgotha.

     With his endearing accent, he told us the story of how Jesus was beaten and crucified on the cliff we were looking at. It was appropriate to see the barren rock, and hear the terrible story before heading to the resurrection site.

     When he was finished, he allowed time for the group to take pictures and ask questions. He had a great smile and even at the end of the day had so much joy and passion in his storytelling, we were drawn in. 

     He said he lived England, but after he retired he and his wife saved their money and every year flew to Israel for three months where he volunteered at the Garden Tomb. He said it was the greatest job in the world, because he had the privilege and honor of telling group after group the amazing story of our Savior, and how He willingly died a brutal death, but that death could not hold him. Because as we would see in a minute, the tomb that was owned by Joseph of Arimathea centuries ago, was indeed empty.

     How many times had he told the story? He lost count years ago. Yet, even this time his eyes filled with tears as he talked about His Savior.

I was jealous with joy for him, because he really did have the greatest job in the world.

Happy Resurrection Day!

 

Are You Chicken?

When I was four years old we lived on the island of Guam and one day someone gave our family six baby chicks. They were so cute! They were fluffy and soft and constantly in motion in their new home on our screened in back porch. I am not sure what happened to our precious pets, but after the words ‘loud’ and ‘messy’ were heard a number of times, the chicks disappeared. 

         Recently, it seems more and more people are raising chickens in their backyard. Costco even sells a kit to build your urban chicken coop. When my friend bought one and put it together for her two baby chicks, I seriously thought about buying and raising chickens too. My schedule and the amount of coyotes that live and roam in our neighborhood deterred me.

         When my friend’s chickens grew to a certain size, she took them to the vet to have their wings clipped. The vet told her she only needed to clip one wing because if the chicken’s wings were unbalanced they would never be able to fly. It didn’t matter what size their wings grew to, as long as one wing was longer than the other the chickens could not fly and would stay safely in her backyard.

         Kay Arthur, in her book, Lord, Teach Me to Pray, says prayer and God’s Word are like two wings of a bird: Both are needed if the bird is going to fly.

         I don’t know about you, but in certain seasons of my life one of my wings is usually longer than the other. Sometimes my prayer wing is longer when I have many things to talk to God about, and I pour out my long list of requests to Him. But without my other wing, reading God’s Word, I don’t hear from Him. I don’t know His thoughts or plans for me unless I am reading His Word daily.

         How about you? Are you a chicken with one of your wings longer than the other, keeping you from flying in your Christian walk? Or are you like an eagle with both prayer and the Word of God propelling you higher in your journey?

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

A Non-Traditional Christmas

          I love our wooden Nativity scene we bought in Israel. It is made of olive wood and we purchased it on Manger Street in Bethlehem. The street name is kind of cheesy, but it is easy to remember. It is a beautiful reminder of Jesus's miraculous birth.  

 

Our Pastor says the wise men do not belong in the Nativity scene because they arrived later, possibly two years later bringing their gifts to the child. But most people, including us, keep the wise men in the scene.

If we want to be factually accurate we wouldn’t have the wooden barn or the wooden manger either. Many parades and Christmas plays include Mary riding on a donkey, yet no donkey is mentioned in Luke 2 in the Bible. We celebrate His birth on December 25, but history tells us the Catholic church chose that date. December would have been too cold for shepherds to be sleeping out in the fields. It would have been too cold for Joseph and Mary, or anyone, to take a long journey. It is more likely Jesus was born in late September, during the annual Feast of Tabernacles, when it was more acceptable to travel such a long distance.

Our Nativity scene is wooden, yet traditionally mangers, or troughs where animals were fed, were cut of stone. Archaeologists have unearthed many stone troughs throughout Israel.

Stone manger in Israel.

 

Our daughter away in a manger.

Something new I learned recently is the Greek word for the term ‘inn’ (kataluma) is only used one other place in the Bible. The word means a “furnished, large upper story room inside a house.” On the last night of Jesus life, when He celebrated Passover with His disciples, He told them to find a kataluma, a large furnished upper room.

More than likely, Mary and Joseph traveled to his hometown of Bethlehem and stayed with relatives. But, because of the census, the house was crowded, and the kataluma was already filled with elderly or more important relatives. (Why they didn’t make room for a girl about to deliver a baby is still a mystery!) Mary and Joseph probably stayed underneath the kataluma, on the bottom level, where the animals stayed and were fed from stone troughs.

Do these new things I learned about the Christmas story ruin it for me? No, not at all. I love Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Savior. I think it is important to read the story from Luke 2, watch movies and plays to help us visualize that night, and display Nativity scenes to commemorate Christ’s birth.  

The facts of Jesus's birth are more marvelous than the traditions we hold. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin (Luke 1:31), just like it was predicted centuries before (Isaiah 7:14). He was born in Bethlehem and an angel announced his birth to shepherds. They found Him wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger (Luke 2:12).

The truth is:

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever. (John 3:16 NLV)

Wishing you a Christ-filled Christmas with peace and joy!

Conflict at Christmas

          During the month of December 100,000 tourists flock to visit the little town of Bethlehem. 15,000 will visit on Christmas Eve alone. Our image of the birthplace of baby Jesus looks nothing like the reality. During the rest of the year, many tour groups, including ours, do not visit Bethlehem any more. Part of the reason is it is  controlled by the Palestinian Authority. 

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

 

The other reason we don’t take tour groups to Bethlehem is the main attraction, which is an old, ornate, church that commemorates the site where Jesus was born. It is called the Church of the Nativity, but it could more accurately be called the Church of Division. Three different religious groups own the church: the Greek Orthodox, the Roman Catholic, and the Armenian Apostate. 

Brawl in church in Bethlehem

For decades they have been unable to unite and agree on how to best administer and restore the church. The 1,700-year-old church is in need of serious repairs. Each group cleans the parts they claim to own, but some things overlap, and none of the groups will let each other pass over their area. Every year there are brawls over who owns which alters, passageways and chandeliers. One time 100 priests fought each other with broomsticks.

As you walk into the cavernous church, you can sense the tension. It is cold, hard, dusty and dark. It bears zero resemblance to the simple cave and manger where the Bible says baby Jesus was born. In fact, it doesn’t remind you of Jesus at all.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12

Jesus was born to bring us peace; the peace that passes understanding, the peace of knowing our eternity will be in heaven, and peace on earth.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace 
with everyone.” Romans 12:18

As Believers, do our lives represent Jesus well? We don’t want our lives to look so ornately decorated with ‘stuff’ or activities, that there is no resemblance to Jesus. We don’t want our lives, conversations and attitudes to be so divisive that we never represent the Prince of Peace. Hopefully, our walk with the Lord is not cold and empty, but instead filled with Love and Joy. As Christ’s representatives to a world that is full of hate and hurts, let’s make sure we resemble Jesus more than the Church of Division the Nativity.

“By this everyone will know you are my disciples, 
if you love one another.” John 13:35