I am going to make this fantastic, large, delicious meal for you. It will take a lot of work in the kitchen, but I really want you to dine well. It's my specialty, and there's no one who can make it like I do. And ... it's free!!!
The main course is roast beef. Slow-cooked with hickory, it's so tender it cuts with a butter knife. It's not dry at all - the natural juices flavor every bite. Just a hint of fresh black pepper. But, while you're eating, be sure to remember the true meaning of roast beef.
The mashed potatoes are so rich, you don't need butter or gravy (because there's already a couple of sticks of butter mixed in - plus just enough sour cream). I leave the skins on the potatoes for a little texture. Piping hot, you plop them on your plate and they're so thick, they don't ooze into the roast beef. But, remember that dinner is the purpose for the potatoes.
The green beans are steamed, so that they are still crisp. Sprinkled with bacon bits and little fried onions, they are a medley unto themselves. They aren't waxy or soggy - just right. But, remember to put "green" back into "green beans."
The best part is dessert - pumpkin cheesecake. It has sprinkles of cinnamon in it, and it lies on a graham-cracker crust made by hand. It melts in your mouth, and makes you happier and happier with each bite, from your tongue to your tummy. But remember, the real present is just having you at my dinner table.
Now, if you remembered all four of these things for only a second, but then just simply gorged yourself to satisfy your own appetite, stuffing yourself until you were nearly sick, "remembering" these things doesn't mean a thing at all. Just thinking about these things for a few seconds, but then spending the meal primarily on yourself, isn't really thinking about those things. All you're really thinking about is your own appetite. The meal is about you, not the gift of the meal.
We have Christmas phrases: Remember the true meaning of Christmas, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, put "Christ" back in "Christmas," and remember that the real present of Christmas is Jesus. We say these things to remind ourselves while the world is busy telling us Christmas is about something else. We should say these things.
But if we just say them for a moment, and then spend the bulk of Christmas gorging ourselves on presents, trying to satisfy our own appetites, we haven't really thought about these things very much. It becomes about us, not the gift of Jesus.
I encourage you at Christmas to refuse to let Christmas be about you, about gifts, or even about giving. Insist that Christmas be about Christ, or let there be no Christmas at all.
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Please remember to join us Saturday for the Bread of Life outreach. I will be driving back from Dallas, so I pray that I'll get back in time to join you.
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The next time someone wishes you "Happy Holidays," ask them, "Which holiday do you want me to have a happy one of?" Then listen, without a judgmental ear. Find out what's important to them, then share what's important to you - "The holiday I want you to have a happy one of is Christmas."
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