Hello dear friend! Well, as you know, it's time for my birthday again.
Last year, they had a real big party for me and it seems like they will
again this year. After all, they've been shopping and preparing for it
for months now, and there have been announcements and advertisements
almost everyday about how soon it's coming! They really do go overboard
about it, but it's nice to know that at least on one day of the year
some people are thinking about me a little.
You know, it's been many years now since they first started celebrating
my birthday. Back then they seemed to realize and appreciate how much
fun it is for the little children. Just the same, it seems that most
folks are missing the point of it all.
Like last year, for example: When my birthday came around , they threw
a big party, but can you believe it?... I wasn't even invited! Imagine!
The guest of honor, and they forgot all about me! Here they had begun
preparing for the festivities two months in advance, but when the big
day came, I was left out in the cold! Well, it happened so many times
in recent years, I wasn't even surprised. Even though I wasn't invited,
I thought I'd just quietly slip anyway. So I came in and stood off to
the side.
Everyone was drinking, laughing and having a grand time, when all of a
sudden, in came this fat fellow in a bright red suit, wearing a phony
white beard and shouting, Ho ho ho! He looked like he had more than
enough to drink, but he somehow managed to weave his way running the
floor while everyone cheered. When he collapsed into a big armchair,
all the little children went running over to him excitedly yelling,
Santa! Santa! I mean, you'd have thought he was the guest of honor and
the whole holiday was in his honor!
Then he began telling them the most ridiculous stories you've ever
heard!...that he live at the North Pole with a crew of dwarfs and that
every year on my birthday he rides in his sleigh pulled by a bunch of
flying reindeers, delving presents to children all over the world! I
mean there wasn't a word of truth in anything he said! Imagine telling
such poor, little, impressionable kids such far-fetched fables!
Finally I just had to leave, I walked out of the door, and it was hardly
surprising that no one even noticed that I had gone. As I walked down
the street afterward, I felt about as lonely and forlorn as a stray
dogs! I could hardly remember the last time I'd felt that low. Maybe
you donut think I cry.........
That little manger seems you had put up in the corner of your living
room was really touching! It's sweet of people to commemorate my
birthday like that. But did you know that nowadays, in some countries,
the authorities wont even allow manger scenes to be displayed in the
parks, streets, or public places anymore! Not to mention their schools!
And I'm not talking about Communist countries! I'm talking about the
good old USA, Imagine! What could be more innocent that a manger scene
to remind people of my birthday?...and yet they ban it! They've
actually passed laws against it and made it illegal! What's this world
coming to?
Another thing that amazes me is how, on my birthday, instead of giving
me presents, most people give gifts to each other! And to top it all
off, it's usually all kinds of stuff they don+t even need! Let me ask
you, wouldn't you find it odd if when your birthday came along, all
your friends decided to celebrate it by giving each other presents and
never gave you a thing?
Someone once told me, Well, it's because you're not around like other
people are, so how can we give you a present? You know my answer to
that one: Then give gifts of food and clothing to the poor, help those
who need it. Go visit the lonely! I said, Listen, any gift you give to
your needy fellowmen, I'll count as if you gave it to me personally!
(See Matthew 25:34-40)
Well sad to say, things are getting worse each year. You can just
imagine my shock a few years ago when I began seeing them taking my name
out of my birthday greeting and replacing it with an X What an insult!
Think of it!...Xmas!... What if I wrote you a birthday card and said
Happy Birthday X! You'd probably never talk to me again! And that's
just about how I feel, I mean what more could they do to push me right
out of the picture on my own birthday?
It reminds me of what happened recently to a friend of mine, a sweet
elderly fellow. He's from the poorer side of town and he's been trying
unsuccessfully for years to join the church. But was a very exclusive
church for the proper kind of folks, and they just did not think he was
good enough to be a member, I found him one day sitting by the church
steps with his head on his hands bowed and I asked him what was wrong,
he told me about it, I put my arm around his shoulder and told him I
knew just how he felt. I've been wanting to enter that same church for
twenty years and they've never let me in either!
Well there's an end even to my patience. So I'm going to let you in on
a secret.............
Now this is something I've been planning on doing for quite sometime,
but the way things are going, I think I'm planning of holding my own
party! How about that>? It's going to be the biggest most fantastic
feast you could possibly imagine! It might not happen this year. But
I'm sending out the invitations now anyway because I know you'll want
to come. There's going to be room for billions, for everyone who wants
to come! Some really famous old timers and celebrities are going to be
there and I'll reserve you seat of honor right with them! (Matt. 8:11)
So hold on to your hat because when everything is ready, I'm going to
spring it as a big surprise! and a lot of people are going to be left
out in the cold because they didn't answer my invitation. Let me know
right away if you'd like to come, and I'll reserve you a place and,
write your name in large golden letter in my great big Guest Book!
Much Love,
JESUS
--Author Unknown.
A-Devo-a-Day for Vacation Inspiration 
