All are welcome

Two weekends ago Kyle, Cali, Kinsey and I participated in our church's walk thru drama called The Bethlehem Marketplace. Kinsey helped grandpa (the shepherd) with the animals while Me, Kyle and Cali were Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. It was neat to be a aprt of it, but I received a little more than expected. We were standing next to "the manger" and as different people continued to come I felt emotionally overwhelmed as I thought to the very first Christmas and what it must have been like to lay my eyes on this baby, my Savior. God sent him - so helpless, so delicate, so vulnerable - to endure such pain in order to save us all from the the ugliness of our sins.

But that wasn't it - its WHO he came to save. As I stood there watching people come to see the baby, I was reminded of the simplicity of the gift offered. Everyone is welcome - the well educated and those who are not, the beautiful and the ugly, the woman who is depressed, the man who is an alcoholic, the woman who can't count the number of men she has given herself to or the man who suffers from seizures or who is mentally handicapped.

Parents were bringing their children and I thought of Jesus' love for children - their innocence and child like faith. There was a group of mentally challenged adults that walked thru, and one woman was just so excited to see "Jesus" and the angel. I couldn't help thinking of how God's plan for us to be with him is simple enough for her to understand because his son was sent special for HER. His love is a gift - his gift is offered to everyone. His gift can either be accepted or rejected - and to be undecided, is to decide. Those who don't know of his gift, need to be told.

No one will be sent away - everyone is welcome to come.