…but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans
6:23b
A student once told me that God only gets three gifts at Christmas time.
I asked her if that was because of the three wise men. She emphatically
replied, “No! It’s because my momma said
so!”
It’s hard not to get caught up in the hoopla of gift giving at Christmas.
I have to admit there are more gifts than just three a piece under our tree. I
like to wrap the presents in foil paper so that the lights of the tree sparkle
and reflect on each one. I love the presentation.
Many years ago in Sunday school our youngest daughter decorated a small
white gift box. On the front she wrote, “Happy
Birthday, Jesus,” in bright colored markers. The rest of the box she
decorated with stickers and the inside contains special Bible verses not only
about Christmas, but also about salvation. Every year since the day she brought
it home that box has had a spot under our tree. Until recently though it seemed
more ornamental than meaningful.
No sparkly paper adorns the little white box. As the gifts pile up it gets
shoved around and almost swallowed by the bigger ones. I happened to notice
that I could barely see it one day when I walked by. I knelt to put the little box
back in a more prominent spot and really looked at it in my hand. The words on
the front pricked my heart.
Had we edged Jesus out of our Christmas just like that little white gift
box had been crowded out by the other ones under the tree? Had the miracle of
Jesus’ birth been overshadowed by the hustle and bustle of the season? If so,
then the time had come to step back and put things back in prospective.
Now when I see that little white gift box under our tree it gives me
cause to pause and think about the real meaning of Christmas – the birth of the
Savior, God’s only Son, the one who would be sacrificed for my sins, The Gift.
Happy birthday Jesus! I pray that my life can be a real reflection of
You not only during the holiday season, but always.
Susan P.
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