This post was contributed by Kevin Schrapel.

As a child, you closed your eyes, gritted your teeth and, in anticipation, pulled and waited for the Christmas Cracker to go “BANG!”

As grown-ups, we pretty well know what is coming: the bang, the paper cap, a trinket and a groan-inducing question.

Now, a couple of weeks later, we would all have trouble remembering the colour of the hat and what the charm was.

But most of us always do it.

Why?

Because it’s part of Christmas.

Those bright shining bang-creators have now been assigned to the rubbish bin, forgotten and no longer a part of our lives – until next year, when we will do it all again.

Sadly, that is also how a large number of our population also treat the reason we have Christmas.

There is some talk about a baby born in a manger; shepherds and kings with camels and gifts are part of the story; there are some warm and fuzzy feelings.

Then they, too are packed away until next December.

Maybe it would be good if we all remembered and were thankful that, even though we tend to pack God and his love away, he doesn’t pack his love away and save it only for special occasions.

With God and his love and care and concern for you and me, there is no “after the bang”.

His interest in you and your life, even though you may think otherwise, is constant.

What you or I think or what we have done is inconsequential.

God’s love is constant, 24-seven.

With a Christmas cracker, we can be almost certain what is going to happen.

With God’s love and influence in your life, only he knows what will happen.

But we can be confident and rely on his promise that whatever he does will be done in love, and only with the thought of what is best for us.

Trust him in this and the joy will go way past the Christmas season.

Let God into your life and get a surprise.

Cheers.