David Meigs is a novelist with a background in youth outreach, specializing in ministry to at-risk youth and their families. Though his writing is enjoyed by all ages, his novels provide a unique, life-changing quality, critical for the youth of today. David and his family lives in Seabeck, Washington.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it—the smells, Christmas carols, watching the excited joy of the little ones as they await their turn to open their gifts. Most of all I wonder at the amazing love demonstrated by our Heavenly Father, that He sent His only Son into this corrupt world to ransom us all from hell and bring us back into fellowship with the Father. Praise God!

In the late ’80s, I had the privilege of playing the part of an angel in a living nativity display our church put on every year, outside the main entrance of our local mall. We had live sheep bleating, shepherds, wise men, Joseph, Mary, and, when available, a real baby wrapped in swaddling clothes to portray the baby Jesus. It was so much fun.

Most folks would stop and watch us for a few minutes before dashing into the mall. Others would stop to shoot pictures, or ask if their children could pet the livestock. On occasion, someone would come forward asking for prayer for themselves or some loved one. Some even gave their lives to Christ right there on the spot, with a steady stream of people shuffling past. Times like these made it worth all the hard work everyone put into it.

It was a great church for souls in need of healing. It was like a critical care unit for the lost and hurting, and God continually brought them our way. The Lord knows He did a healing work in me during our time there. It was a small church, but God used it to do big things in people’s lives. My ministry to youth has moved our family through many wonderful churches over the years, but when I think of Christmas, or outreach to the lost and hurting, that church immediately comes to mind.

Of all the lives God transformed through that small church, one young man stands out. I will never forget the day he quietly slipped through the door long after church service had already started. He found a solitary seat in the back corner of the sanctuary. He looked to be no more than twenty, and judging by his military haircut, I reasoned he must be a sailor stationed at the nearby naval base. But the most striking thing was his desperate, sorrow-filled eyes.

As soon as the service ended, I made my way to him and introduced myself. He wasted no time in unloading the burden that haunted him. “Am I doomed to hell? That other church I visited told me that I am damned. They kicked me out and told me never to return.”

Dumbfounded, I listened as he tearfully explained what he had been through. Evidently, he was new to the area and didn’t have a single friend. He was feeling lonely as he walked by a church about a mile down the road from our own. On the spur of the moment he decided to give it a try. It was his first time ever attending a church, so he was more than a little nervous. As he walked through the doors, a group of men surrounded him and one of them started asking him about his doctrinal beliefs.

“I didn’t know what the right answers were. I’ve never been to church before. After I gave them my reply, they led me back outside and told me I was going to hell, and never to return again. I was shocked and couldn’t think of what to do, so I just started walking. Then I saw your church and decided to come in. Please, tell me what to do. I don’t want to go to hell.”

I am happy to say that not only did this young sailor come to Christ that afternoon, but he also went on to find a bride from within our small congregation. He even had a part in our living nativity—a shepherd, I think. He became a rock-solid member of our church. We were all sorry to see him go when the Navy moved him out of state.

1 Corinthians 15:45 says, “So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit” (NIV).

Jesus came into this world to liberate the lost and bring healing and new life to all those who call upon His name. I believe that God has called us writers of inspirational fiction to bring that same healing and new life into the lives of our readers.

Jesus was born into a war-torn world, filled with suffering. Few of those who considered themselves God’s elite had any kind of understanding of what was in God’s heart for His Messiah. They fought and argued among themselves as to who God favored the most. To these men, precise adherence to doctrine and outward appearance held greater value than the lives of those suffering around them. Jesus came to heal the sick and set lives free. He came to die on the cross for the sins of mankind, and nobody saw it coming. Not the elite, anyway. It kind of reminds us of some of our churches today, doesn’t it?

We inspirational writers are called by Jesus to use our gifts to reach a lost and dying world. But being called by God is not enough on its own. Neither is it solely dependent on our skill as writers. Those are both important qualities, but changing lives requires something more. We need God’s power and that requires hearts that are wholly surrendered to Him. Only Jesus gives life.

Our world craves the love and fellowship with their Creator. He sees and deeply cares about people’s lost and broken lives. With another Christmas soon upon us, let us take some time to consider the reason He came and all He has done and still needs to do in each of our lives.

Until next month, may God help you to write stories that reflect His amazing love for all who need Him. Merry Christmas!