The Christmas Season: Good News with Obstacles

My daughter Katelyn once told me that trail mix is just M&M's with obstacles.  That made me laugh, mostly because for me, it is SO true.  Eating all the obstacles is definitely worth it when it means I get a few M&M's out of the deal!

I approach life that way too.  I can put up with a lot of stuff I don't really like when there is a "payoff" at the end (or at least the hope of a payoff!).  I don't really like raking up leaves, but I sure do like a clean, healthy yard.  I don't really like vacuuming, but I sure do like a happy wife!  I'm sure you can relate.

Christmas time is here, and believe me, there are plenty of obstacles we need to go through to get to what really matters.  But in our culture, there isn't any other way to get to Christmas than to go through the obstacles.  The shopping, the materialism, the parties, the busyness, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, trips to the in-laws, and fruit cake.  Enjoy them all (if you can), but never forget what's on the other side. Never forget that God became a man, and that He made a way for sinners like us to find our way back to Him.  Never forget that the baby Jesus, born in a barn, became the Savior of the world.  Your Savior, and mine.  That's the Good News! He's the reason we do what we do at ECM.

I hope you'll agree that it's worth it to fight through the obstacles in order to enjoy the Savior (who is even better than the trail mix with M&M's that I just happen to be eating right now!).