Would You Sacrifice the White Towel?

The thought came to me one day back when my sons were young. We were playing hop on pop in the living room.  My wife had been washing clothes while we were playing, and I being the wonderful dad that I am gave my children Kool-Aid® - red Kool-Aid®. 

The mothers reading this are already shaking their heads, and with good reason.  My younger son decided to climb up on the sofa to get better hang time as he jumped on me.  Just as he was beginning to jump his little, pudgy feet slipped and his knee hit the large glass he had been drinking out of.

I was able to catch him before any of his bodily parts banged into the wooden table, but I watched in horror as the red drink tumbled almost in slow motion over on its side.  I panicked.  I knew there would be no way to get the red stains out of the carpet.

And then I saw my salvation, a warm, snow white towel that my wife had folded neatly on the sofa.  It was one of our best towels, and it would be ruined.  I hesitated, but only for a moment.  I grabbed the towel and absorbed the red stain before it tumbled over the side of the table.

It made me think of another stain, the stain of sin that was going to ruin humanity, a mess of lives running along a broad path, about to tumble into an eternity of darkness.  And then God took his precious, snow white son, who willingly took the stain upon himself – the sacrifice of love. 

What if instead of a white towel I would have had to sacrifice my own son.  Could I?  Not for a red stain, but for mankind, could I willingly give my son to save the world? 

This is the gift of love that Christmas time is all about.