I was the kid who had their Christmas list done by the end of summer. Mom and dad could always count on me to know exactly what I wanted at least three months before Christmas. I remember lying in bed with eyes wide open thinking through my list to make sure what I had written down was exactly what I wanted. This was important business! It was my one chance to get everything my little heart desired.
The night before Christmas, my cousin and I would sneak out of bed, tiptoe downstairs, and put all our presents in a big pile. We would count our individual stacks and triple check under the tree to make sure we had gathered every single one of our precious gifts. After carefully taking stock of our soon to be treasure, we would sneak back upstairs and try our best to fall asleep.
Christmas morning was (and still is) the best day of the year! A child's dream come true. The most magical morning of the year.
A Grown-up Christmas
I feel a little downhearted now as I move on to the perspective of Christmas as an adult. While that excitement is still there, it looks and feels much different now, especially in the Christmas list category.
The pressure of asking for gifts as an adult is real. You don’t want to ask for something that you could simply buy for yourself, but on the flip side, you don’t want to ask for something that costs $300. Add to this dilemma the fact that you don’t want to squander the opportunity to let someone else pay for something on your wish list.
This year, I looked at numerous gift guides simply to spark an idea of an appropriate gift to add to my wish list. In the midst of my adult Christmas list dilemma, I came to this realization…
I spend so much time thinking through what to add to my Christmas list, while rarely taking the time to be still and marvel at the greatest gift that was ever given, the reason for the season, the gift that came at such a high price -
The gift of Jesus.
The Reason for the Season
Coming to the realization that I had so easily passed over the purpose of Christmas was a sobering moment for me. I had allowed myself to be completely swept up in the giving and getting aspect of Christmas. The excitement of receiving something new is invigorating, and the pressure of giving the perfect gift is pressing. But that excitement should never surpass the joy and hope found in the birth of Jesus.
My personal prayer for the rest of this Christmas season is that I would not diminish the majesty of the manger. That I would stand in awe of the richness and the depth found in the gift of Jesus Christ.
In the gift of God sending His Son to earth, we find unending gifts:
hope
comfort
joy
peace
eternal life
divine purpose
grace
mercy
unconditional love
heavenly counsel
God the Father’s giving didn’t begin at the cross. It began when He gave up His Son to live here on earth. He gifted His Son to humanity, not only for 33 years on earth, but for all time to come. Let’s not let the giving and getting of Christmas overshadow the greatest gift ever given – the gift of God’s Son.
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