It was a Saturday night...
Illustration
It was a Saturday night Darrel would not forget. He had been out drinking with some
friends and had a bit too much to drink. On his way home late that night, he crashed his
motorcycle into a nativity scene on the front lawn of a church. He crashed right into
Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus. He picked himself up and was able to continue
home with no one seeing what he had done.
The pastor noticed it first, upon arriving at the church the next morning. Someone had purposely vandalized their nativity scene. The figures were purchased in memory of long-time member who died the previous year. This was the first year for the nativity scene. He wondered, "Who would do such a thing?" Several leaders gathered following worship to discuss what action if any they should take. While everyone agreed that the police should be notified, not everyone agreed whether to press charges if the person responsible was caught. "We are a church after all," someone said. The pastor would call the police and file a report. Maybe their insurance would cover the damage.
As the pastor returned to his study, he noticed there was a message on the answering machine, a name and a telephone number he did not recognize. Since it was nearing Christmas, he thought maybe it was another person looking for help. The young man on the phone confessed to damaging the nativity scene at church. He told of his late-night crash. When he got home he could not go to sleep; he kept thinking about what he had done. He knew it was wrong. He apologized several times over the phone. He wanted to know what he could do or how much it would cost to replace the damaged figures. He was willing to do anything he could. The pastor never called the police.
Darrell met with the pastor the next day. Again he told the pastor how sorry he was and promised to pay for the damages. Together they walked among the damaged figures. When the pastor told Darrell that they would not press charges, he was both surprised and relieved. The pastor explained that it was Christmas and since he came forward on his own and apologized there would be no need to press charges.
On Christmas Eve, Darrell decided to attend that church. That night he promised the Lord Jesus that he would change; he felt that his accident served as a wake-up call. From that moment forward, he would live his life "honoring God" in all that he did. Darrell embraced the pastor who was so kind to him on the way out of church that Christmas Eve. He would keep his promise and replace the damaged figures so that the next year this church could again display their nativity scene on the front lawn.
The pastor noticed it first, upon arriving at the church the next morning. Someone had purposely vandalized their nativity scene. The figures were purchased in memory of long-time member who died the previous year. This was the first year for the nativity scene. He wondered, "Who would do such a thing?" Several leaders gathered following worship to discuss what action if any they should take. While everyone agreed that the police should be notified, not everyone agreed whether to press charges if the person responsible was caught. "We are a church after all," someone said. The pastor would call the police and file a report. Maybe their insurance would cover the damage.
As the pastor returned to his study, he noticed there was a message on the answering machine, a name and a telephone number he did not recognize. Since it was nearing Christmas, he thought maybe it was another person looking for help. The young man on the phone confessed to damaging the nativity scene at church. He told of his late-night crash. When he got home he could not go to sleep; he kept thinking about what he had done. He knew it was wrong. He apologized several times over the phone. He wanted to know what he could do or how much it would cost to replace the damaged figures. He was willing to do anything he could. The pastor never called the police.
Darrell met with the pastor the next day. Again he told the pastor how sorry he was and promised to pay for the damages. Together they walked among the damaged figures. When the pastor told Darrell that they would not press charges, he was both surprised and relieved. The pastor explained that it was Christmas and since he came forward on his own and apologized there would be no need to press charges.
On Christmas Eve, Darrell decided to attend that church. That night he promised the Lord Jesus that he would change; he felt that his accident served as a wake-up call. From that moment forward, he would live his life "honoring God" in all that he did. Darrell embraced the pastor who was so kind to him on the way out of church that Christmas Eve. He would keep his promise and replace the damaged figures so that the next year this church could again display their nativity scene on the front lawn.
