All the Parts Matter

 

Every time I hear “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen, I find myself standing in the back room of the Western Auto store in Linden, Alabama. During high school, I worked at Western Auto for the Christmas season. My job was in the back putting together Christmas presents that people bought for their kids. There were 3 of us guys who worked back there. We were probably more like the 3 Stooges than the 3 Wise Men. There was no heater in the back area. Q 101 was playing Christmas music in the background. They must have played Springsteen’s song every hour as Christmas neared. We spent the days leading up to Christmas putting together Big Wheels and bicycles. It was always a challenge trying to fit 2 bikes and a Big Wheel into a parent’s Ford Pinto (look it up). I had a lot of fun, made a little extra money, and learned a couple of important lessons along the way. One thing I learned is that it is important to follow the instructions. A Big Wheel doesn’t always go together like you think it should. And it can be difficult to figure out how some of those smaller parts fit together. Follow the instructions! The second thing that I learned is that all the parts matter. The big wheel in the front is seen more than the cap nut that holds it on but see how far the Big Wheel goes if you leave the cap nut off. All the parts are important. The Bible contains our instructions for how to live life wisely. We need to follow the instructions! In those instructions, we learn that the body of Christ is made up of many different members or parts. We all have different skills and abilities that the Lord has given to us (1 Cor. 12). All the parts matter! God uses different types of people with different types of gifts to tell the world that Jesus has come. He uses shepherds and wise men. He uses you and me. We must all work together to make sure that the wonderful message of Christmas is shared with the world. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11).

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