Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1056515
24 22 Traditions Saturated with Love Lindsey Medenwaldt, Current Student, Master of Arts in Apologetics and Ethics W hat's your favorite holiday tradition? While preparing to write this devotional, I asked my seven-and-a-half-year-old daughter, alia, this question, and she said presents (of course!) and building gingerbread houses with her grandma. Our whole family looks forward to the gingerbread houses. We enjoy them so much, in fact, that we built gingerbread houses with grandma when we visited her this summer. Each house is built with different frosting, candy, and design. All are built with care and love. My favorite holiday tradition, anksgiving dinner, is not typically considered Christmas-related, but it gets me in the right mindset for the Advent season. For the past few years, we've hosted a anksgiving meal for seminary residents who stay on campus during the holiday. at means we host dinner for nearly 70 people! Each year we come together and celebrate as a community. Some bring turkey, some bring pie, and all bring love. Isn't that the point of all these traditions? No matter where you're from or whom you spend the season with, each tradition is rooted in love—for each other, and ultimately, for our Savior. After all, Christ came to us because of the Father's love for us (1 John 4:9). So instead of getting wrapped up (literally and figuratively) in our holiday traditions this year, let's take some time to reflect on the reason we celebrate. Why are we here? What hope can we offer the world because of the hope our Father has given to us? It isn't about gingerbread houses, presents, or turkey; it's about truth, hope, and love. ere is hope within us, and it is our duty to share that hope with others (1 Pet. 3:15). "AT ONE TIME WE TOO, WERE FOOLISH, DISOBEDIENT, DECEIVED, AND ENSLAVED BY ALL KINDS OF PASSIONS AND PLEASURES. WE LIVED IN MALICE AND ENVY, BEING HATED AND HATING ONE ANOTHER. BUT WHEN THE KINDNESS AND LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR APPEARED, HE SAVED US, NOT BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUS THINGS WE HAD DONE, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY. HE SAVED US THROUGH THE WASHING OF REBIRTH AND RENEWAL BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM HE POURED OUT ON US GENEROUSLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, SO THAT, HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE, WE MIGHT BECOME HEIRS HAVING THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE." - TITUS 3:3-7 19 December