Christmas brings out the child in me. I guess when Christmas is at it's best it brings out the child in a lot of people. For me one of the most obvious times is when I actually buy a gift I think someone will really like. I walk around like I have a secret that is killing me. I long to give it right now...tonight. I feel like I am going to burst. So, I drop hints. There are times when I drop enough hints that I have practically described it. I guess I just can't wait for the reaction. But I wait for the fullness of time, the perfect time to give it to have maximum effect. If you have the perfect gift you really want to get the perfect reaction. I love to see the surprise, the joy, the love. It is all good to me. All this makes me wonder about God. I wonder if prophecy is just God's way of dropping hints because the gift is so good. There really are places where he pretty much describes what he is giving us. But he waited until the fullness of time, the perfect time. I think sometimes he waits for the same reaction I wait for. Every Christmas morning our family reads through the Luke 2 passage about the first great Christmas morning and then we move on to the giving and receiving of our presents for each other. I think I should wait for a few minutes and let the wonder of the Gift sink in a little more. This year I will turn my face up to heaven and tell God how amazing it all is just in case Christmas brings out the child in Him.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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2 comments:
Great analogy Joe. Speaking of gifts, you certainly have that one...
This posting reminds me of a few years ago, in December, when you encouraged us in a sermon to exchange very personal Christmas cards with members of our family. I can't remember all the details you gave us, but for the past few years our immediate family has, AFTER opening all our gifts Christmas morning, opened cards, each written (somewhat anonymously) to the other family members. Each card contains something the writer loves/enjoys about the recipient.
What has been amazing about the card writing is that it costs very little, yet has by far turned into the most meaningful part of our Christmas morning. Ironically, the joy of opening the cards seems to last much longer and go much deeper than the joy from whatever gifts were opened.
We have now expanded this practice to our extended family (with whom we spend Christmas Eve). Last year we decide to stop buying $ gifts for each other and substituted it with the "card gifting". One of the best parts of this exchange is the mystery of trying to figure out who wrote what, trying to surprise the recipient in what is written, and then seeing their reaction when they figure out. I think that sounds like something God would do. Maybe that's why it's so cool.
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