On Sabbath afternoon it was time to practice what we preached. All of us divided into groups according to our home church[v] or mission project and organized a service activity to do within the next three weeks. Lyli and I joined the MOVE staff and planned a Christmas Eve concert to hold in the Orange Walk town plaza. In one rare moment when not on the piano, I walked around the perimeter of the plaza handing out literature. “Yeah, and God bless right?” A young man with his wife and kids said as he received a tract. “God’s not blessing me tonight nor tomorrow.” He answered his own question. At first it was hard to tell if he was just messing with me or if he was serious. He certainly looked and sounded serious enough.

“I don’t got nothing’ to give to my kids for Christmas. I’ve got to find someone to rob or something because God, you know, sometimes He’s there for you and sometimes he’s not.” That was an extremely awkward moment for me as I tried to process how I should respond. Finally I just handed Him the only cash I had with me, while wondering if that was really the best response I could give. Maybe he was lying, and even if he wasn’t, why should I help someone who spoke openly of robbing people, and in front of his children at that? Then the Holy Spirit seemed to smack me over the head. Why should I always filter my giving based on whether I think they deserve it, or what they might to do with the gift? What if God based his giving on such criteria? He bestows a myriad gifts, good and perfect on an ungrateful and undeserving race: the pleasant perfume of the flowers, every breath of life-giving air, the joy of a genuine smile, the delightful flavor of a favorite fruit—oh, how he loves this old world, despite its rottenness! What perfect magnificence, what benevolent mercy, what unfathomable love! He took the biggest risk, gave the greatest gift of all in the life, death, and service of his only son, Jesus Christ. He gives it to everyone, knowing that even those of us who claim to love Him will kill His son all over again. And again. And again. For all practical purposes He is squandering His resources on millions who will never reciprocate His love: no acknowledgements, no surrendered heart or dedicated life, not even simple thanks? Instead, many return their gifted breath in blasphemies. Why does He keep giving? How does He do it? And more importantly, what even remotely valid excuse is left to me for NOT giving? Well, maybe I have one excuse: my proud, ugly, sinful, human heart that needs to be transformed by divine grace. My first work is to learn to give Him that.

“We can see only a little way before us; ‘but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.’ He never becomes confused. He sits above the confusion and distractions of the earth, and all things are opened to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He can order that which His providence sees is best. If we were left to ourselves to plan, we should make mistakes. Our prejudices, our weaknesses, our self-deceptions, and our ignorance would be manifest in many ways. But the work is the Lord’s, the cause is His; He never leaves His workmen without divine directions” My Life Today p. 14

Kody