Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shifting
shadow. James 1:17
I love Christmas. Presents are one of my love languages, and
I have always enjoyed that aspect of Christmas.
My dad and his brother were very different creatures. Dad wanted to be
surprised by what he got and Greg always wanted to know. He always did know,
too. He confessed many years later that he slit the tape with a razor blade and
then re-taped it. When they would argue he would threaten to tell Dad what his
presents were. I did my share of sneaking into the living room to see if
presents had come. I love wrapping gifts funny ways, like putting a watch in a
huge box with paper stuffed around it. I also like to do treasure hunts, where
inside the box is a note with a clue where to look next. One of my favorite
gift traditions was when Mom would take me to the Christian book store and tell
me to pick out books and cassette tapes that I wanted. ( I know that dates me.)
Then she would send me to another part of the store and pick out what I got out
of my stack. I have to work on how to show love to people who don’t share this
love language. I confess that I did not always connect the gifts we gave and received with God's gift of Jesus, but I have learned to. In fact not long before mother died I asked her what she would do differently. She said that one of the biggest things she would change would be to keep the focus more on Jesus and less on stuff.
We are in the advent season now and we are waiting. I did not grow up in a "tribe" that celebrated advent, but it has become very special to me. It gives me an anchor to remember Jesus' coming and to look forward to his coming back. I like the visual of the candles reminding us of the gifts of love, joy, hope and faith. It is easy to forget these blessings. It is tempting to "look for God's hand and not His face." He is loving and gracious and generous, and this week he has provided practical blessings that have left me shaking my head in awe. Much more than that, though,
He has given me his presence in my dark stretch when I didn't feel Him. He has given me restoration with my family and assured me that there is more restoration to come. All of this would be meaningless if it were not for Jesus and His sacrifice. I believe He will come again and restore all things, and I look forward to that. My goal, though, is to seek Him and enjoy Him and serve him NOW. He has brought me through my past and he will be in my future, but He is in my Christmas in my Present.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and in revelation he is honored and praised for being the god who was and is and is to come. (Revelation 4:8) There are so many other verses that speak to the presence of God in our lives and His glory, but I will leave you with these for now.
He has given me his presence in my dark stretch when I didn't feel Him. He has given me restoration with my family and assured me that there is more restoration to come. All of this would be meaningless if it were not for Jesus and His sacrifice. I believe He will come again and restore all things, and I look forward to that. My goal, though, is to seek Him and enjoy Him and serve him NOW. He has brought me through my past and he will be in my future, but He is in my Christmas in my Present.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and in revelation he is honored and praised for being the god who was and is and is to come. (Revelation 4:8) There are so many other verses that speak to the presence of God in our lives and His glory, but I will leave you with these for now.
