Justine dreads going to the...
Illustration
Object:
Justine dreads going to the store where she works at the mall the days following Christmas. She knows from previous year's experience that shoppers will return en masse with returns and exchanges. People will return their gifts expecting cash; others will be willing to exchange a gift for another color or size. And she knows that people will not always be the nicest, either. Some will be overly demanding while others will be outright nasty.
She often thought that during the days after Christmas, people should still be filled with joy, but she knew that wasn't true. The days after Christmas brought out the worst in some people.
On Christmas Eve, Justine arrived at church early. She wanted to sit in the beautifully decorated sanctuary and pray. She sought God's direction for her life. As people began arriving she was praying. She felt drawn close to God. It was as though someone whispered to her, telling her that she should set the example for shoppers after Christmas.
Early on December 26, as she made her way to work, she decided not to allow anyone to ruin or take away her Christmas spirit. She would be kind and courteous to all of her customers no matter how badly they acted toward her. She would return kindness to uncaring words spoken by customers. That day she did exactly that. She showed love and kindness to all. She discovered that her gracious attitude would disarm the shopper about to complain. She truly set the example.
Jesus set the example for each one of us. The message of Christmas is that Jesus became human, like us. The writer of the book of Hebrews states, "Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people."
She often thought that during the days after Christmas, people should still be filled with joy, but she knew that wasn't true. The days after Christmas brought out the worst in some people.
On Christmas Eve, Justine arrived at church early. She wanted to sit in the beautifully decorated sanctuary and pray. She sought God's direction for her life. As people began arriving she was praying. She felt drawn close to God. It was as though someone whispered to her, telling her that she should set the example for shoppers after Christmas.
Early on December 26, as she made her way to work, she decided not to allow anyone to ruin or take away her Christmas spirit. She would be kind and courteous to all of her customers no matter how badly they acted toward her. She would return kindness to uncaring words spoken by customers. That day she did exactly that. She showed love and kindness to all. She discovered that her gracious attitude would disarm the shopper about to complain. She truly set the example.
Jesus set the example for each one of us. The message of Christmas is that Jesus became human, like us. The writer of the book of Hebrews states, "Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people."
