"SKID ROW SIGNIFICANCE"

Christmas was a just week away so the Kerr family decided to go to Cracker Barrel for a late morning breakfast before a day of slapping the racks. Three year old Ty and his older sister, five year old Sky, loved those french sticks with powdered sugar. The restaurant was about half full but they were the only family with any children. Ty was sitting in a high chair and saying hi to anyone and everyone who would look his way.

Soon Ty began to laugh and giggle while pounding his high chair tray. Ty’s mother, Kay, looked at the other diners and found the source of Ty’s merriment. It was an older man whose hair was dirty, pants so baggy they had to be tied with a frayed rope and his shirt was very dirty. His toes poked out of worn out shoes and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. He was the textbook definition of a skid row bum. The Kerr family wasn’t seated too far from him and Kay was certain she smelled a combination of booze and body odor.

The bum waved his hands while making faces followed by covering his eyes then yelling “peek-a-boo” at baby Ty. The rest of the diners had been quiet so this man’s yelling was creating a scene. The other diners would look at the bum then look at the Kerr family which prompted Kay to ask her husband; “What should we do?” Ty continued to laugh and giggle with the bum’s antics and making faces. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with the Kerr's beautiful and innocent baby boy.

Finally, their breakfast came but the bum began shouting louder, “Do you patty cake?” Nobody in Cracker Barrel thought the bum was cute. He was obviously intoxicated. Kay and her husband ate in silence, too embarrassed to look up but Ty was admiring the skid row bum who in turn kept up with the loud admiration of Ty.

They finally finished their meal and headed for the door while Mr. Kerr went to pay the check, he told Kay to meet him in the parking lot. Kay was panic struck as the old skid row bum was sitting between her and the door. Kay mumbled a prayer to herself; “Lord, just let me get out of here before that drunk speaks to me or my baby.”

Kay tried to turn her back and sidestep the bum to avoid any odors he might be emitting and any air he might be breathing. But when she turned her back, Ty leaned over her arm and stuck both of his baby arms out in the “pick me up position.” Before Kay could stop the baby, he had propelled himself out of her arms and into the bum’s grasp. Suddenly, a very smelly old bum and Kay’s sweet baby were expressing their new kinship and love. Ty, in an act of total trust and love, laid his tiny head upon the man’s shoulder, filthy shirt and all. Kay cringed while thinking of the germs now on her baby boy but Kay noticed the old bum’s eyes closed and tears dropping down his cheek as he cradled her baby. The old bum’s aged hands, full of grime, pain and hard labor, hugged Kay’s sweet baby as he gently rocked Ty with his eyes still closed and tears glistening on his cheeks. It was evident no two beings ever loved so deeply for such a short time. Kay was awestruck.

The old bum opened his eyes and stared at Kay while in a firm commanding voice said; “You take good care of this baby.” Kay, felt like she had stones in her throat but managed, “I will” as the old bum handed back her baby.

The old man said “God Bless you, ma’am. You have given me the best Christmas gift.” Kay said nothing more and with Ty in her arms she ran for the car crying every step of the way.

Kay got Ty in his car seat and got herself in the car shaking and crying while saying, “My God, my God, please forgive me.” Kay’s husband asked her what was wrong.

Kay, her tears mixed with mascara and makeup was streaming down her face when she told her husband she had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a small child who saw no sin and who made no judgment. Baby Ty saw a soul while Kay saw an old man in dirty clothes who needed a bath.

Kay was a Christian but was seeing blind holding a baby who was not. Kay felt like God was asking her to share her son just for a moment while He had shared His Son for all eternity.

The angels first announced the great and joyful news of Jesus’ birth to a group of shepherds in the fields. (Luke 2:8-12) Shepherds in those days were considered ceremonially unclean and untrustworthy so from the onset, God chose a group of people needing to be saved to first hear of Jesus' coming. Shepherds were in the fields among smelly sheep. They had no power or influence. They had nothing to bring the baby King. So why did God choose the lowest members of society to entrust the greatest truth of the ages?

Why didn’t God choose the religious leaders? Surely they would have been excited after waiting for thousands of years to meet their Savior. Why not choose a king or a rich man whose testimony would have carried more weight? Why shepherds?

Two reasons come to mind; First, shepherds were easily humbled and amazed that God chose them to hear the news. Imagine how unworthy they must have felt, but how honored. Based on Jesus’ opinion of the religious leaders of that day, I don’t think they would have had the same reaction. The Pharisees thought highly of themselves. They loved religion and status more than they loved a relationship with God. They probably wouldn’t have been very impressed that God chose to reveal the secret of the ages to them. In fact, they might have thought they deserved to hear the news first.

But not the shepherds. They were amazed God chose them and they couldn’t keep it to themselves.

That leads to the second reason God chose shepherds. After they had seen the baby Savior, they “spread the word” concerning what they knew. They weren’t like too-cool to fool teeny boppers, worried about what others thought of them. They didn’t over-think the situation and talk themselves out of telling the news. They were overflowing with joy, ready to paint the town and the front porch.

You know what happened when those uneducated, simple and smelly shepherds spread the word that a Savior had been born? People were amazed and excited. (Luke 2:17-20)

God in is His infinite wisdom chose just the right group of people to entrust the greatest news of eternity. Those humble shepherds took the Good News of Jesus and did just what God wanted them to do – told others, and their lives were never the same.

Friends, Christmas is a time we are obsessed with exchanging gifts in the form of packages, stockings, money and other items of value. We give very little thought of the gifts God has given us. None of us would dream of leaving any of our gifts under the Christmas tree without bothering to open them. But believe it or not we do!

God wants to exchange gifts with each and every one of us. His gifts of joy, happiness, forgiveness, love and blessings out the wazoo are wrapped up in the Good Book. In exchange for His glorious gifts, He wants us to give him our addictions, debaucheries, fears, pain and any other sorrow by the spoonful. This is His idea of exchanging gifts.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus. Thank You for loving us more than we can comprehend that You would exchange the amazing gift of Jesus for our sins so we can enjoy abundant life on earth then eternal life in Heaven. Let us rejoice as the shepherds did about the good news of You sending us a Savior and share this “Joy to the World” every day!