Under the Tree

About this time every year, anticipation begins to build concerning what types of gifts will be under the Christmas tree. For those of us who really love giving gifts, the anticipation is almost off the chart. Seeing the excitement and joy in people’s faces as they look at the brightly colored packages and attempt to figure out what’s inside is so much fun for me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love receiving gifts as well. Every year we receive gifts at our home from friends who are unable to come to see us. It is always exciting to open them and know that someone took the time to think of us. Gifts come in many sizes and shapes and, while most are ready to use right away, others come with that ominous warning, “some assembly required.” (Sounds like something the Grinch would say to steal the joy of the season!)

As exciting and wonderful as Christmas is, something critical is required of you in order to experience the fullness of the celebration. You can have more lights on your house than Rockefeller Center, snow piled to the roof, carols playing on the CD, cookies enough to choke a whole herd of reindeer, and visions of sugar plums dancing through your head but you’ll never know anything about your gift until you actually receive it and open it.

I remember one Christmas a few years ago when I had such anticipation concerning a gift I was going to receive. I looked at the box, the beautiful wrapping paper and imagined the many things it could be. I knew the person who was giving the gift. I knew their history of great gifts, as well as their financial position, so I was expecting BIG. When I opened the gift I was totally shocked at the contents. It was a flashlight - a nice one mind you – however, it was not what I thought was coming my way. I was so disappointed! How could this happen to me? I had even been pretty good…most of the year! Interestingly enough, two days after Christmas our power went out and the only light we had was this gift that I wasn’t expecting and really didn’t appreciate, but now needed.

The gift of Jesus to the world was not unlike my flashlight. For so long, the religious teachers had “wrapped” Him in such beautiful paper that the expectation of the people was significantly different from the actual gift. When Jesus was revealed, the people were unwilling to receive Him because He wasn’t at all like what they were expecting.

Remember “some assembly required”? Like many of you, I have purchased gifts for my children with that warning, somehow thinking that I could be “the one” to actually emerge from the process victorious. Alas. It was not to be. In attempting to assemble these gifts, the number of failed efforts drove my level of frustration over the edge. “Ho, Ho, Ho” was quickly replaced with “Bah! Humbug!” After putting out the call for reinforcements, Susan and I were able to complete the “some assembly” process so that the children could enjoy their gifts…on Christmas!

Did you know that God, the Father, was thinking of you when he was planning the gift of Jesus? And all you have to do to experience the fullness of this special gift is simply receive it. This gift is so special and so wonderful that it never requires effort on your part. Once you receive it, however, it will carry out “some assembly” on you. This is a gift that will assemble you to be all that God says you can be. The special thing is, once you receive, God gets to enjoy the fullness of the gift as well!

If you have already received the gift of Jesus, then you know it is one that is intended to be “re-gifted” again and again. This gift was never meant to be kept but to be passed on. So this Christmas, take this wonderful gift to all those around you and share with them freely. They will have quite an experience discovering what is really inside.

Merry Christmas!