A Deteriorating Stable and a Couple of Polaroid Photos

…You shall love your neighbor as yourself…

Over and over this phrase appears in God’s Word. The phrase appears in these eight verses (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8). Clearly, Jesus taught the value of the people who are around us.

The Dilapidated Stable

Over the last few years, I have stumbled upon items Dad made. Without use and maintenance, things fall into disrepair. One example is the stable Dad crafted for our church’s simplistic, but meaningful depictions of the nativity. Numerous little Marys and Josephs have stood, sat or knelt in the shadows of the quaint, little stable. Yet as is evidenced by the photograph, it can no longer be used and is ready to be discarded.

            Jesus warned about earthly stuff being susceptible to “moth” and “rust” destruction. This happened to the little stable constructed by Dad. Then I located a couple of pictures.

Front: Shawna Crowley, Darren
Crowley, and Leona Tanner
Back: Charlie Knifechief and Frank
Burch

Front: Dale Bledsoe  and Lee Bryant
Bledsoe  Back: Kendall Richardson

The photographs were taken following one of the children’s performance in the church Christmas program during the 1970s. They have grown into responsible adults -educators, a school superintendent, Bible teacher and numerous other honorable careers. (Lee Bryant Bledsoe III, a Desert Storm veteran, still lives in the Bend.)
Some of these young people conveyed at Dad’s death what an impact he had on their lives from teaching some carpentry skills to sharing small snippets of wisdom for living life to always having a cheerful, personal greeting for them. Countless times I heard Dad say, “I like to teach a young man.” Nothing meant more to Dad than encouraging a young person.

            Earlier I mentioned about the warning of Jesus from the chapters denoted the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:19-20, we hear our Savior's command,

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither mother nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Jesus said not to focus and put our primary attention on the earthly stuff like the wooden stable. Instead the all-important vision of reaching out to people must grab our interest and time.

                At the outset of this post, I listed eight passages that commanded the love of “your neighbor” – anyone who crosses your path. People – our family, our neighbors, our coworkers, and anyone who comes into our periphery– become our emphasis if we obey Him. As we enter the Christmas season, let’s remember to emphasize people as we encourage, teach and share the love of Jesus with them. What better gift could be given to the Savior whose birth we celebrate!

Lord, as we launch into this season celebrating Your miraculous entrance into our world, help us to treasure what You treasure. You treasure individual people. You chose to come into this world to bring salvation to those who would receive You. Never let our concern for selecting or purchasing gifts blind our loving care for the person receiving the gift. Give us hearts for valuing people as You do. Only then will we have made room in our hearts for You this Christmas season.