The Greatest Gift

I love watching my kids this time of year. They love Christmas time and all that the month of December entails. They love the family time, the traditions, the songs, the movies, the presents...

Oh yes, the presents. This year they bought each other so many gifts that under the tree was overflowing with presents. It was so strange knowing that the majority of gifts were not from me but that the kids spent their hard earned money on each other.

Christmas Morning

Each gift was carefully thought about and then lovingly wrapped. The excitement on their faces as they watched the recipient open their gift was more fun than anything. Seeing them more excited about giving gifts than receiving gifts makes this mommy heart so happy.

 
In our house there was much more anticipation from the giver than the recipient. I wonder if that is how it is like with our Heavenly Father. We are given the greatest gift of all. He came in the most humble and most vulnerable way. As a little baby who was born to parents who had very little means. There wasn’t a guest room for them so they stayed where the animals were kept. Yet shepherds came to see this glorious baby and worshiped Him. The magi came from miles away on a long journey to see this baby who was to be King. Not the king they were expecting, but the King of Kings. Our Savior is our greatest gift ever. The One who gave Him, I am sure is more excited about us receiving the greatest gift ever, than we could ever be about getting Him. I hope that train wreck of a sentence made even the slightest sense. What I am stumbling my words to get at is this. The Creator of the Universe the very one who spoke everything into existence at the beginning of time has given us this incredible gift, one that He planned out and prepared the world for. He set the stars and planets in the sky on their clock work of movement so that on just the perfect day the star would appear for all to see. It’s like when you go from store to store and search everywhere agonizing over that perfect gift for someone. God did that with Jesus. Then He gave the greatest gift to us, not wrapped in pretty paper with a beautiful ribbon but wrapped in a simple blanket. This gift though is such a great gift that angels sang about it in the sky. And stars shined more brilliantly.

Have you received this gift yet? This gift that was given to us 2000 years ago (give or take).