Merry Christmas - URBANA Revisited

What do you look for at Christmas? …The Christmas Eve service? …Family gatherings? Traditions? Comfort? Happiness? I look for all these things, and can feel deprived when I don’t experience them.

In 1996, Alex and I were feeling called by God to become missionaries. After asking the counsel of several people, we decided going to the mission’s conference at the university in Urbana, Illinois was our next step. We headed to Urbana, just two days after Christmas.

It was the first time I had left our two young children for so long, (five days). On the six-hour drive down, we encountered foggy, dreary weather, and I wasn’t feeling very well. Little did I know that reaching the parking lot of the college was just the beginning of my journey. We parked and waited in the foggy drizzle about an hour for the bus that would take us to registration. There are several buildings and check points necessary to walk through before getting your housing assignment for the next four nights. Awaiting our name to be called for the last time, we sat in the stock pavilion, chilled through from the damp winter air. Finally, our name was called and we were directed to a van that would take us to the housing assignment…the Paradise Hotel. (Maybe things were looking up?)

The driver dropped us off at a hotel, where a large parrot greeted us as we walked through the door. We checked in with the Urbana team, and were lead to our room. We passed the pool, and the fitness center, got to our very nice room and I exclaimed, “Maybe this will be fun! Like a second honeymoon!” We unpacked and started settling in. Then the call. The woman on the line told us we had been checked into the wrong place. I pleaded for her to let us stay, saying that we’d already unpacked, etc. But when dealing with 10,000 people, they needed to keep housing assignments as originally planned. My attitude quickly deteriorated. I was in denial, and didn’t even help Alex pack us up.

A van arrived to take us to our correct housing assignment. After a 30 minute drive we arrived at the Paradise Motel….yes, one of those cheap motels that you access each room from the outside. The pool was in the parking lot (and it was 40 degrees outside). I’m sure the scowl on my face didn’t depict “missionary to be” very well to the people at the motel desk. “A smoking room??!!!” It smelled terrible! I hated the smell of old cigarette smoke! YUCK! And tomorrow was going to be my BIRTHDAY!

(Did I mention that Alex, through all this, was calm and accepting…no complaints from him.)

That night I didn’t even get undressed. I lie on the bed in my clothes…and coat…and eventually fell asleep.

As I slept, the Lord was preparing me for a message from Him. I have never felt like the words coming into my head were straight from Him before, but that next morning, it was clear.

I got up first, while Alex was still sleeping, and went into the bathroom. Standing before the mirror, looking at the sad reflection of myself, the Lord gave me something to think about. It was like He said,

“Chris…About 2000 years ago, My Son left his home, travelled far, found there was ‘no room’ in the first nice hotel, had to stay in the ‘hole in the wall’ smelly place….and the next day was his BIRTHDAY! Now what are YOU willing to give up for Me?"

I was stunned…and humbled…and cried. Just writing this makes me choke up again…what GOD was willing to do for ME, and what I struggle SO HARD to do for Him!!!

This year, I was reminded gently by my husband that lesson the Lord had taught me so many years ago. We were scheduled for a nice vacation with friends at a resort on a beautiful island of the Philippines. The day before we left, we were notified that the resort owner had an emergency in the family and they were closing their place. A travel agent was given the assignment to find us another place to stay at the last minute.

Christmas day we head to the airport. I had been sick for a week, but was finally feeling well enough to join Alex and Joey for the trip. As we flew over the islands of the Philippines, my anticipation mounted. A van was waiting for us at the airport and the driver took us to our new vacation spot….right in the middle of town. Not a beautiful town, by any means....and as we walked the narrow pathway to the building we were staying in, Joey assumed we must be headed toward the beach. Well, we were headed to the water, which was murky and polluted, and filled with falling apart shacks on stilts. No beach, and an ugly surrounding, crushed my “high expectations” that I so often inaccurately presume.

I thought I had come a long way since that day in Urbana, but this was my CHRISTMAS vacation! And it was supposed to be beautiful, and fun, and pleasant, and comfortable, and, and, and……

And Alex reminded me, “Chris, about 2000 years ago, Jesus left His home, and had to stay in a not-so-nice location…paying a very high price.” Enough said.

I hope all of you have an “Alex” in your lives. Who GENTLY redirects your thinking and your perspective.

We have a GOD, Who loves us BEYOND COMPARE!!!!!!!! And each Christmas that I am humbly reminded of His sacrifice, is the BEST Christmas of all!