Friends of Faith:
Even though my favorite part of Christmas are the lights and the reactions of everyone to those lights, for many it is the unwrapping of presents—big, small and everything in between. A lot of attention goes into shopping, buying and wrapping and then of course unwrapping all of the glitter that was so carefully placed around each treasured purchase.
But after they are all unwrapped, and more importantly for those of us who are practical shoppers, we hope that the presents we so carefully gifted won’t just continue to sit under the tree or on a shelf, be wrapped back up to be re-gifted, or be hidden in a cupboard, but that the presents will be explored, loved and/or put to good use.
“Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Is 60: 4-5
It is the same with God’s greatest gift to us, Christ Jesus. God intends us not to just “unwrap” his presence in our lives, but to explore him—learning all we can about Him, love Him as the greatest gift we have ever been given and put his presence to good use—learning, doing and being by his example of servitude, charity, kindness and compassion.
Heavenly Father, the gift of Your Son, Jesus was a manifestation of Your love for us. Just as we have given our family heartfelt gifts, so too did You give us Your heartfelt gift—love enough that Your son sacrificed His entire life for our sake. Help me to be as kind, as charitable, and as compassionate in serving others. Help me to look beyond the glitter, looking inside the package you presented so that I can give to others in a way that uses your gifts to me compassionately and worthily. Thank you for unwrapping Your presence in my life. Amen.
Christmas doesn’t end when the wrapping paper is torn off. Christmas has only just begun!
Blessings,
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