I saw a movie the other day called “A Christmas Tree Miracle”. Was it great acting, no. It kind of reminded me of “Facing the Giants”. However the message that it gave was powerful.
While the family was not deeply religious in the beginning, the acts of kindness they displayed ended up helping them out in the end. They also stated to read the Bible and believe in God. While Jesus was not really mentioned because of the tensions with using His name, it was implied that He was there.
In this movie, the family that the story is about is living way outside their means and after their dad loses his job, they never stop trying to keep up with the Jones’s. They spend way more money than they should have, but they never really learn that until the end. They end up losing their cars and houses. They sell everything to have enough to survive. They even get kicked out of the hotel they are staying in after they lose their house. They have to go and get help from the local church to have food.
The family is very prideful and the kids are spoiled. Lets face it, they are used to living in the life of luxury. In the one Christmas photo they take, they are not a happy family. The only person that is happy almost all the time is the youngest child.
With all that said, each person in the family is kind enough to give something to another person. The dad gives coffee to a stranger. The mom helps the wife of a Senator and has a chat with her sister. The son gives his phone that is basically useless to another person that is being bullied. The daughter befriends a homeless girl who is wearing the jacket she was ashamed of. All of this comes back onto them in the end.
While this is just a movie, I do believe that God rewards those that do as He commands. I am not talking about prosperity gospel. I am reminded of this verse:
Matthew 25:14-30English Standard Version (ESV)
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
In the movie, they are basically homeless and are sleeping in the church. The man that dad was nice to operates a Christmas Tree farm and is bringing a tree for the church and catches them sleeping in the church. After a long discussion, he invites them to stay at his house. They accept and they are taught the business. The man is happy that he has a family to continue on the Christmas Tree farm. This farm is unique in that they give the trees away for free because the wife wanted every person to have a tree.
The dad still has not learned and wants to develop the land since that was the job he got fired from. He talks to the Senator and motions are set to basically take the land by Eminent Domain. The dad finally learns, but now there is a battle to keep the land. During all of this the man that owned the farm dies and leaves all of it to this family. They are shocked and proceed to use whatever resources at their disposal to keep the property.
In the end scene, the man that wants to develop the land does not want to take the land from this family. The wife calls her sister for help, who happens to be a news reporter. The son and daughter do not want to go back to their old life. The little girl is as happy now as she was in the beginning. The dad was now reading from the Bible and became a leader of the family.
I hope that came through crystal clear, but I am a horrible writer so it was probably as clear as mud. So I will try to clear it up a bit. With acts of kindness, the family ended up reaping rewards that they never expected.
Yes this was just a movie, but I do believe that God also responds in the same way. Now I know that sounds like Prosperity Gospel where people tell you to send in X amount of dollars and you will be rewarded 10 fold. I do not believe that for one second. I firmly believe that you have to show you are responsible enough to handle the little things before God will trust you with more.
Ask yourself if you are kind to your fellow man? If not, why not? Do you want to be kind? If you do not, why not? Ask yourself what would Jesus or God want you to do?
I am not always kind to my fellow man and this includes woman. Part of me is afraid of being made a full of or taken advantage of. Part of me hates people in general. Part of me is cynical in nature. Part of me thinks that I have to stand up for everything that I think is wrong.
I have come to learn that when something sits in your heart, you should act on it. The other day it was very cold outside. I drove by the black man waiting for the bus. Something told me to pick him up, but I drove by. I felt so convicted, that I drove around the block and if he was still there, I was going to offer him a ride. He was and I did. He needed a ride to Subway where he worked.
No one will force you to be kind to your fellow human, but should you be? I think this is partially what Jesus was saying when He said love your neighbor as yourself. So what will you do going forward?