Jesus is everything that we need!
I am coming up on my 5th anniversary of serving with Refugee Resources, so now is the perfect time to look back and appreciate all the ways it has impacted me. I have been partnered with three students over the years, so I am thankful for the consistency. I has allowed me to really get to know the students and their families. But for the past two years I have been mentoring Parfait, my favorite person.
Parfait is a 3rd grader and a ball of energy and humor. He regularly steals an older sibling's phone to call me at 11 pm just to tell me what he wants for his birthday (5 months early). He loves pranks and hiding in the same place every week to scare people. Parfait quickly forgave me when I accidentally spilled the beans about his Kindergarten crush to his older sister. His favorite joke is "Why did the couch go to the fridge? To get some milk." If anyone could explain that to me I would greatly appreciate it.Parfait is one of the most improved readers of the year! We started two years ago with the alphabet, struggling through "LMNOP", and now he is confidently reading words like "especially: and "suspicious". I sometimes doubt that he comprehends the stories, but when he correctly answers the questions at the end he says "easy peasy lemon squeezy."
My favorite thing about Parfait is that he loves to try new things and places. For months he has been obsessed with going to Target for the first time. I told him that I would take him and his siblings in December, and that day has finally come and gone. When we first walked in, his eyes lit up with desire. However, when we started walking around, he realized that his limited allowance would not get him everything he wanted. We walked in circles trying to decide, and after an hour he landed on Pokemon card, Airheads, and a Pikachu toy. He late gave his airheads out to kids on a playground...I almost cried.
Parfait temporarily put his joy in material things that ultimately disappointed him. This reminds me of Matthew 6:19 - 21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Especially around Christmas, we put too much importance on material hopes and treasures. This world is not our home, and the things in it are not our source of joy. We are to "set our mind on things above" (Colossians 3:2). Through grace God works patiently until we understand this fact. We are to remember that Jesus is the ultimate gift, so that we can have hope in life and in death.
This gift came to us as Christ Incarnate to Bethlehem, to redeem and reconcile us. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given ...and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is everything that we need. No amount of worldly possessions or successes can fulfill this need in our hearts. He is the remedy for sin, the answer to prayer and prophecy, and the proof that God is good and keeps his promises. So this Christmas season, find your joy in Jesus and His good news, not Target's great deals.
Written by: Delaney Andrews