“What’s In The Package?”
by Hannah Keeley
I love watching living nativity scenes with the kids. One Christmas, we went to see a living nativity scene at our church. As they were all standing up there, I noticed the extreme disparity among the group of people.
There were wise men in gold robes and jeweled crowns standing shoulder to shoulder with shepherds in worn sandals and tattered clothes. Some held a wooden staff; others held a box of gold. But they were all gathered together with the same purpose in mind—to worship the baby Jesus.
That’s one of the most remarkable things about…
…my faith. There’s no working our way to God or earning His love. We simply come…just as we are—the dirt and grime, the jewels and gold, it doesn’t matter.
I Samuel 16:7 tells us that “the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” So often we are quick to judge others by the way they look, the words they say, or even how they smell! But, I’m sure it didn’t smell too good in that manger on the night Jesus was born. It probably smelled like a mixture of old hay and cow poop! I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen that scent at Yankee Candle and I’m pretty sure I never will.
He chose to come in the most lowly fashion, in the most humble of circumstances. If we had happened to stumble upon that manger on that most holy night, would we have been turned away by the smell? Would we have averted our eyes away from this young couple who was homeless and poor? Would we have walked on by? Sometimes, the most holiest of things comes in the most humble of packages.
This week, and on into the new year, why not make it a point to unwrap the package? Reach out to those people who you would normally pass on by. Open up a conversation with those who may not smell as nice as you. Take time to help someone who could never, ever pay you back. Look beyond what you see. You may discover a whole new face of God
-Hannah
Hannah Keeley was once in overwhelmed mom living in a cluttered house, deep in debt, out of shape, and barely hanging on. But one day, after finding herself sobbing uncontrollably into a pile of clean laundry, she realized God has bigger and better plans for her (just like He does for each one of His children). Beginning that day, she began making changes in her life that took her from overwhelmed to overjoyed. Today, she’s helping moms do the same. Hannah, her husband, Blair, and their seven children live in Richmond, Virginia, and are having the time of their lives!
Check out Hannah’s Website Here!
