Bread Bite: Give
Continuing with our weekly words of encouragement, here is your Southern Cancer Center “Bread Bite” from Pastor Richie Nobles of Crossroads Church in Bay Minette, AL.
Pastor Richie-
When I was a child I remember Christmas time in the classroom. In elementary school we exchanged gifts. The teacher would instruct us to get a $5 gift and we would then draw names for the gifts. Each year my mom would take me shopping for the gift. We wouldn’t get just a $5 gift, we would get a gift that I wanted. My thinking was… get a good gift and you will receive a good gift. I have to say that didn’t always happen.
One year, I believe it was 2nd grade, for my gift I brought the coolest Hot Wheels racetrack $10 could buy. Man, I wanted it so badly. So, when gift day came I brought it proudly to our class and sat it kind of behind the tree. But my sneaky ways didn’t prevent someone else from getting my present. As it was, that year I was the last boy to choose so I really had no choice, I got the last gift. I remember opening the gift and to my surprise, or dismay, it was a bag of marbles. I was devastated to say the least. In fact, I was really trying to like the gift until I realized that it was missing some marbles. My little 7 year old brain was fired up. Marbles?? Come on!! Used marbles??? Give me a break. Even though I was pretty upset I could hear my mom say, “Be thankful in all things”. Although I wanted to be thankful by throwing them away, I knew better.
Christmas is truly and primarily about “giving”. See, God gave Heaven’s best and I’m sure He got the raw end of the deal. I’m mean come on, how many of us equates ourselves to a incomplete bag of marbles. Haha! Seriously though, I’m thankful for my mom who tried her best to instill a “giving” heart in me. And yes, THANK YOU JESUS for being the best gift exchange any person could ever receive. Remember- in His eyes you are the most valuable. He hand picked you.
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ – Acts 20:35