Good news travels fast!
Luke 2:10-13 (NIV)
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Good morning!
It has been said that good news travels fast! When I was a child growing up in the early sixties, our family paid for party-line phone service. A party-line was inexpensive, enabling several families to share the same telephone line. It didn’t happen often, but occasionally, we would pick up the phone and hear someone else’s conversation. If we chose to eavesdrop, we could hear about the lives of our friends and neighbors down the block. Our parents told us to hang up the phone out of respect for others’ privacy, but it was tempting to listen in, and sometimes, we did just that.
With the emergence of single phone lines, elimination of the rotary dial, and the dawn of cellular and wireless service, my parents chose to continue with their rotary dial, party-line telephone. The phone company could not force folks to upgrade their service, even though most people choose the newer model telephones and increased service capabilities. My parents were very frugal. They liked paying $9 a month for their phone service. We used a rotary dial phone until my mother sold her home and moved to a retirement community. Mom was appalled that she was unable to get the same monthly phone rate in her new apartment. She thought $30 a month was way too much for phone service, and she complains periodically about the cost, even today!
Our children and grandchildren may never fully understand the delight of receiving a long-awaited letter from a loved one that arrives through the US Postal Service. Today, we communicate instantaneously through wireless internet and phone service. We have overnight delivery, same-day delivery, cab service, hand-delivery, e-mail and voice mail. When the cable goes down or we lose our satellite, we feel lost and suddenly alone! How will we ever survive?
Long ago, lowly shepherds lived in the fields with their flocks. It must have been a really quiet existence, sitting underneath a star-lit sky, with no cell phone or blackberry. The shepherds had no one to speak to except God and their sheep. It is no wonder they were terrified when angels appeared in the night sky with the greatest news ever told. The heavenly host proclaimed the good news - an infant Savior had been born for ALL the people. The angels gave detailed, step-by-step directions to find the Christ child. “Follow the star to the city of Bethlehem. Look for a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger. Go and see your salvation!”
The shepherds went to Bethlehem that night and found their newborn King. Ecstatic, the shepherds spread the news to everyone who would listen to them. Today, we continue to tell of His birth, using every possible communication tool at our disposal. Good news traveled fast then, as it does today. Who will you share the Good News of Jesus Christ with today?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: courage to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone you know. Go ahead - send that Christmas card, forward an e-mail message, leave a voice mail message, and smile! An infant Savior has been born for ALL of us. Good news travels fast!
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© Copyright 2006, Deb Spaulding
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