I was in the unfortunate circumstance of having to brave the supermarket on the day before Christmas. I normally avoid this at all costs, but not this year.
I got my cart and wheeled into the fray. It was chaos...jaw-clenching, wild-eyed, fierce women with anxious children trailing behind. Everyone was rushing, rushing, rushing with that get-out-of-my-way-or-else look in their eyes.
Feeling a little testy myself, I plugged in The Three Tenors Christmas album. As the beautiful music filled my ears, I began to relax and really look at the people around me. And I started to feel the stirrings of Christmas! Impatience was replaced by what I can only describe as love! Surely this was not from me...I felt like Scrooge after he awakened from his dream. I was about a minute away from leaping in the air...and I am definitely NOT one to leap.
And when José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, in heavily accented English, began to sing Amazing Grace, I immediately understood evangelism. I wanted to jump up on the self-serv checkout and cry "God loves you! God loves you! Christmas is good news!"
I'm not talking about the angry, red-faced men screaming-about-hell type of evangelism, but the kind of evangelism where people just can't help telling others about Jesus.
Really, it was a transformational moment. I found myself wandering around the store with what I'm sure was a goofy, it's-a wonderful-life grin on my face.
I had a great time at the supermarket on the day before Christmas. Of course, the Three Tenors helped. But mostly I think it was the Holy Spirit, whispering "I love you."
God so loved the world, so LOVED THE WORLD, that He GAVE His only Son. And He loves me! And He loves you, too!
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
