Christmas In July

Touring my neighborhood right now is the ice cream man. You know, the guy who winds up and down the street enticing those of us who love ice cream to come outside and buy the frozen treat on a hot July day. Yeah, that guy. 

Well he’s got my attention…and not just because I love ice cream. He’s playing Jingle Bells. Yes, as in the Christmas carol, Jingle Bells! 

I think I get what he’s trying to do….
Sometimes you have to do something radical or ‘out of the norm’ to attract folks to your cause….even if your ’cause’ is ice cream! 

Before my husband gave his heart to Jesus at 19, he often smoked marijuana with his friends. They passed a joint around and talked about life. When he received Jesus, no one told him it wasn’t a good idea to smoke weed, so he continued smoking while telling his friends about the Love of God. No one listened. 

Discouraged, he gave great thought to what he could do to attract his friends to the cause of Christ. 

He decided to do something radical.
He stopped smoking weed. (It was radical to he and his friends at the time)

He didn’t stop hanging with his friends…just stopped smoking. 
Amazingly, his friends started listening to him as he shared Christ. Really listen. They knew Mike …and Mike would not stop smoking pot unless something radical had happened in his life. 

Playing ‘Jingle Bells’ in the heat of the summer seems radical enough to get my attention. 
….I’m going outside…I’m celebrating my birthday this week!