One thing I don’t miss from when I worked with preschoolers is playing board games.  When it comes to playing games, I tend to be a little competitive.  Maybe it’s because I’m terrible at sports and so I need at least one competitive area to excel in.  Maybe it’s because I have three siblings and we always were competing to win over one another.  Regardless of the reason, I can be competitive.  When playing games with preschoolers, however, there is no real competition.  They ALWAYS win.  They don’t win because I’m nice and let them win.  No, they win because anytime they roll the dice to a bad number or pick up a card they don’t want,  they declare a “do-over.”  And there is no rationalizing with them.  You can’t explain that the rules don’t work that way…to them, they just do.  On your turn, you can’t take the same “do-over” because, as every 4 year knows how to proclaim, “that’s not fair!”  No…I don’t miss playing games with little kids.

And while I never get to start my turn over, these infuriating moments did remind me that God is like every parent out there.  He gives us a “do-over.”  And not just in a meaningless board game.  God gives us a free pass to start over in life where it really counts.  Through Christ, we are given an opportunity to receive a free gift.  The gift to start over.  To choose again.  We can continue to walk in sin, wandering farther and farther from God.  Or we can choose to accept God’s gift of forgiveness and start over with a new life in Christ.  We can be forgiven and given the greatest gift of a “do-over” with our lives.

So what will I do the first time Allan asks me to have a “do-over”?  Well I’ll probably give it to him.  Not because I want to but because my Heavenly Father gave me one!

Before I wrap this up, let me give you two practical house-keeping memo’s…

1)  Apparently my well-designed and easy system last week to submit your “how did I come to HBIC” stories failed.  The link did not work for most people for some unknown reason.  I would still love to hear how and when you got connected to our church family and would welcome you to email me your story at pastorjan@hbicchurch.com.

2)  As we prepare to eat our turkeys next week, several of you have been asking about times and details for Christmas services.  Christmas Eve is a Sunday this year.  We will not be having Sunday School in the morning and will begin our holiday celebration with our annual Stories and Carols Service at 10:15.  Afterwards, at 6:00 pm, we will have our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.   New Year’s Eve is also a Sunday and we will be having our regular church-family Christmas breakfast that morning during the Sunday School hour with worship at 10:15.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Jan