I normally pick up inexpensive gifts throughout the year and stow them away in my “gift closet” like most of you frugal moms out there. Interestingly enough, my gift closet doubles as my prayer closet. And, what I have found in that closet is that the gifts that surround me are both temporal and eternal. I can give little trinkets out to my family and friends, but the eternal gifts I find in that closet in prayer and Bible study are much more concrete, much more life-giving than those other things collecting dust. What gifts am I giving to my family and friends that will last forever?
When I stop and take a good look at God, I see that He gives expensive gifts: the life of His only Son, Jesus; His Holy Spirit for our comfort; His strength for our weakness; His everything for our nothing. We really have nothing of value to offer in return.
God gave His all and Jesus gave His all. Jesus was enduring the pain of the cross thinking about me and you. I want my children to know that they are the joy that was set before Christ on that cross. YOU, my friend, are the joy that was set before Him. It’s a two way thing; He is our joy, but we are also His joy. He takes our meager attempts at worship as something joyful to receive, and in return we receive the expensive gift of the contents of Heaven for our eternal Joy.
Joy can be an expensive gift. Sometimes we have to lay aside earthly desires, do hard things, and pick up the pain of the cross and follow Him–in joy.
A gift like that might look like giving a patient, even joyful response to someone who is edgy or even mean. It might look like the gift of repentance if we have not represented Christ well. It might look like laying down that desired thing that might give us fleeting joy, and pick up that dish towel and keep serving. We can give a word of blessing or encouragement or love when we really want to criticize or hide, or nurse an old wound. Precious gifts in His sight. These are much more costly than those easily purchased gifts that are soon forgotten, but their effects could very well last an eternity.
So, this is what I want to do. I want my family and I to give this gift to Christ; the gift of a Christmas centered on Him, really and truly this time.
~Deborah
dwuehler@thehomeschoolmagazine.com
P.S. Here is a gift for you of an audio/video presentation I did last year about Keeping a Christ-Centered Christmas. It includes hymns, crafts, and traditions that help us keep a Christ-centered Christmas in our home.
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Announcement
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