Christmas Time
Oh boy. Here it comes. The holiday blog. So, I'm usually a big fan of Christmas, but lately, I have felt a lot more like the Grinch, and a lot less like little Who's down in Whoville. Maybe it's been the larger than life game of frogger that I have been playing with the cars at work. Maybe it's the hours of traffic that have been flooding the street. Maybe it's the $25 dollars that I have left in my bank account, or the fact that my credit card is almost maxed. I'm not quite sure what it is, but something has got me down this Christmas season. I was having a bad day today, but then I began talking to a friend, and then I realized, it doesn't matter what has got me down. Money is trivial, and time spent in traffic or at work is only temporary. I've lost sight of the real importance behind the holiday. I lost sight of the truly ultimate gift that we have been given. The gift of Jesus Christ that was given to us by God, and how Jesus gave His life for us. You see, when God gave the gift of Jesus, He didn't wrap it. He wasn't hidden behind lights and paper, bows and string. He wasn't accompanied by a tree with an angel on top, or a myriad of Christmas songs. He came and was born in a stable, and placed in a manger. All of those other things are things that we have added over the years. Our own additions to what we think that God's gift should look like. I like to think of it as wrapping paper on a gift for an infant. It doesn't matter what the amazing gift inside is, because we become infatuated by the wrapping paper. All of the things that we "wrap" Christmas up in are causing us to lose sight of the amazing present that is sitting just beyond the surface. And yet, we are content to play with bows and strings. So this holiday, I pray that you would take time to open up your eyes. See the ultimate gift that we have been given, and take time to enjoy it. Drop the shiny paper, and ribbons, and tear into the present that has been waiting for you for a long time. Enjoy it! I promise you won't be disappointed.
[ ... ]
