Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “A Christmas Gift of Thanks” for Wednesday, 17 December 2014 - Scripture: Galatians 6:7-8

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “A Christmas Gift of Thanks” for Wednesday, 17 December 2014 - Scripture: Galatians 6:7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.[Galatians 6:10 (NRSV)]
When one of our church members was ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at the grocery store, a homeless man approached the kettle and noticed the sign stating that the bell-ringers were from our church. The homeless man asked, “What church is that?” The bell-ringer pointed toward our building a couple of blocks down the street. The homeless man pulled a few coins from his pocket, dropped them into the kettle and said, “They’ve been pretty good to me.”
That man’s gift to the Salvation Army was also a beautiful gift to each of us who share in the mission of making God’s love real through our church. He spoke for people whose names we will never know and whose faces we may never see, who would speak the same words of gratitude for this church and its ministries in our city and around the world.
God’s love that became flesh in Jesus continues to become flesh whenever any of us help those in need with our prayers, presence, gifts, and service.
Read more from the author, here.
"Surprises in Advent"
A year ago in the middle of Advent, a single verse from the Psalms changed the direction of our lives. During my quiet time that morning, I came across these words in Psalm 81:
“I lifted the burden off your shoulders; your hands are free of the brick basket!”(Psalm 81:6)
We had been considering retirement for the past couple years, but fully expected to serve at least one more year in pastoral ministry. But those words leaped from the page so powerfully that I could almost hear an audible voice saying, “You’ve carried this burden long enough.  It’s time for you to let it go.” 
When I showed the verse to my wife, she felt the same tug of the Spirit.  We decided to spend the rest of Advent waiting and watching for ways in which the Spirit would confirm this word for us. We tried to be consistent in our times of prayer and reflection.  We shared our search with a close colleague who retired a year before us.  A New Year’s Eve conversation with our Bishop gave added confirmation to the word we had received.  In January we made the announcement to the congregation we had served for twenty-two years. In June, the same Annual Conference that had voted to ordain me 44 years ago voted on my retirement and in July we stepped out into a new way of life.
Along the way, I’ve been amazed by the grace to let go of things I had done so faithfully and passionately in the four congregations I was appointed to serve.  There has been a wonderful sense of peace in knowing that we are right where God continues to call us to be. So, now what? 
We moved to our lake house in central Florida where I am writing for the United Methodist Publishing House, leading workshops on discipleship and leadership, and attempting to pass on whatever experience has taught me to younger preachers through the Institute of Preaching at Duke Divinity School.  I also write an occasional blog at www.jimharnish.org.  In the fall I will be the guest speaker for a Fall Foliage Cruise along the New England coast.  I plan to teach on “Pilgrims, Protestors and Poets:  How Religion in New England Helped Shape the Nation.”  Readers of the Upper Room are invited to join us at www.eo.travelwithus.com.
But the most important thing we do is find opportunities to spend more time with our grandchildren and to enjoy this phase of life together.
It just goes to prove that you never know what kind of surprises God might have waiting for you during Advent![James A. Harnish]
The Author: James A. Harnish (Florida, USA)
Thought for the Day: Jesus becomes flesh in us when we help those in need.
Prayer: Dear God, may we never grow weary in showing your love to others through our words and deeds. As Jesus taught us, we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:9-13, NIV). Amen.
Prayer focus: Local community outreach
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