The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 10

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
   Ten Lords a Leaping
   Nine Ladies Dancing
   Eight Maids a Milking
   Seven Swans a Swimming
   Six Geese a Laying
   Five Golden Rings
   Four Calling Birds
   Three French Hens
   Two Turtle Doves
   and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Ten Lords a Leaping = The ten commandments: 
1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17) 

I once heard it said that every person has a radio station that plays in their head 24/7... WIIFM

What's In It For ME?

We go through life with the aim to "get ahead" or at least not get trampled on.  And the truth is that we trample on each other all the time.  When we've been trampled enough, we become conditioned to be cautious and cynical, not really thinking that anything or anyone could be ALL GOOD, so we consistently take matters into our own hands.  

I think of a commercial for a Tae Kwon Do studio some years ago, which ended with a young boy and girl stating "nobody bothers me!" In the perfect world, no one would be out for themselves.  People would always be living for the good of others, but on this side of heaven, that doesn't happen perfectly...

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  JAMES 4:1-3

The 10 Commandments help us to know that none of us can do life perfectly...always...in every moment...living for the good of another, even when they have wronged us.  I know I can't.  How often I fail.  Sometimes though, I do get it right...but it doesn't completely erase the wrongs that cause disappointments, hurt feelings and strife.  

Cynicism creeps in - - Is it possible that there is such a level of GOOD in this world?  

The Lord is good...ALL GOOD, ALL THE TIME!  

Be thankful for the giver of all good gifts - - the Lord himself - - who came to earth to intercede on our behalf, living the will of the Father perfectly!  

All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”  JOHN 6:37-40

Jesus is our redeemer and the example of how to live having received the grace of God.  Mission, Jesus Style calls us to let go of our former ways, striving to get our own way.  Having received grace, we're called to live in such a way that others also find the giver of these good gifts!

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  MATTHEW 7:11-12

In the same way, let your light shine before others, 

that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. MATTHEW 5:16