God With Us

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

I have to be honest, when ever I fly I pray that the seat next to me will be empty. I like the room and would prefer it, but I also tell the Lord if he doesn't answer that prayer I am more then willing to share with whoever sits next to me. On one trip I was flying to Oregon to speak at a church. The flight was full and I was jammed in the middle seat, I pulled out my Bible hoping to get some last minute studying done on the flight. Just a few moments after pulling out my Bible, the man seated to my left began asking questions, and we began a conversation that lasted the entire flight. Somewhere in our conversation we began to talk about Christmas and the incarnation of Jesus. Though he was not a Christian he found it amazing that God would come to earth as a man. As time went on I had to just smile because I wasn't witnessing to the man, he was witnessing to himself. As we spoke of Jesus' birth, he told me a story that he insisted was true. It had to do with a family that had all become Christians except for the dad. He didn't mind his family becoming Christians, in fact he liked the changes that their new faith had brought about in his home. He had heard the message of Christ but felt it wasn't for him. One Christmas eve his family went off to the church service and he stayed at home. The night was very cold and snowy, and after they had been gone for a little bit, he began to hear a funny thumping at the windows of their enclose patio. At first he thought it was the wind, or maybe some snow dropping from the roof. After the noise continued and began to annoy him, he threw on a coat and opened the front door to check the noise on the patio. In an instant he found the cause of the thumping, it was a little bird that had somehow gotten trapped in the screened-in patio. He knew that if the bird remained in the patio it would soon freeze to death. He then began an hour long process of trying to shoo the bird out of the patio, to somewhere it might find warmth, either under the house or even in the house. He failed at every attempt to save the bird because the little guy was so afraid of him. He tried to communicate his good intentions to the bird, first by speaking in a calm voice.... "don't be afraid I'm trying to save you", then in a not so calm voice.... "you crazy bird listen to me I'm trying to save your stupid life!!". As he was doing all he could to save the bird, the thought struck him, that if he could for only a moment become a bird, that the little bird would not fear him and he could then save the birds life. That very moment his eyes were opened and the truth of the gospel hit him. This man suddenly understood Christmas, man's need for a savior, and why God had come as man. He stood on that cold patio and gave his life to the Lord. After the telling of the story, the man to my left didn't need much convincing either! What a wonderful season we are now celebrating, God's everlasting love toward us is so great that He would come to us as man.