A Christmas Lesson From Rudolph

“Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?” As I take a few moments to write a devotional thought, this familiar family classic is on television. A reindeer with a glowing nose and an elf with dreams of becoming a dentist discover that if you press on through adversity dreams can come true. We all love the idea of an adventure. Even as children we recognized the idea of finding a lost treasure or embarking on an epic journey seemed to be woven into our core character. Our childhood dreams were filled with wonder, and in those dreams we became all our heart desired and hopes held. We believed that Rudolph could guide the sleigh and Hermey had the ability to become a dentist. The truly wonderful aspect of childhood is we never had to consider the cost.

James and John grew up on the water. As young boys they would play along the shore as their father, Zebedee would mend the nets. They had escaped the heat of countless Summer days by swimming off the dock while awaiting their father’s return from a day on the lake in search of fish. Those childhood years along the Galilean seashore were filled with wonder, two brothers wide-eyed dreams of adventure.

“Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

Matthew 4:21-22

Their childhood days over, James and John were now old enough to assume a greater role in the family business. They were fishermen, just as their father, grandfather, etc. It was who they were. At least it was who they were until “Come, follow me.” It was a simple statement requiring a simple response. The cost however was not so simple. Family expectations, an unknown future, and social pressure meant this seemingly simple response required the resolve of countless questions.

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29-30

Many of those dreams from childhood can and should be passed off as juvenile fantasy. Others are seeds of the life calling God has for us. The key to determining which are mere fancy and which are our ordered steps will be found as we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

James and John immediately left their nets because they had long before determined that the dream is worth the cost. Through the price paid dreams become reality and the manifold blessing of God is realized. Hermey became a dentist and Rudolph guided Santa’s sleigh, it as a heartwarming story. James and John paid the price and their story is told 2,000 years later. It makes one wonder, what story will be told of you?

Blessings!