The Greatest of Gifts

Good morning, my friend!  Good morning, Father!

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Lord, we are into the full swing of the Christmas season.  We hustle and bustle and make our plans for the perfect day, the perfect gifts and the perfect meal.  We pick wrapping paper and bows that will color coordinate with the ornaments we will hang on the tree, and make sure that the table is perfect, with our best on display for all to see.  We have bought into the expectations we see on a Norman Rockwell Christmas card.  While it is beautiful and heartwarming, to be sure, the images aren’t really attainable for most of us.  It all has more to do with Frosty the Snowman than with the birth of Jesus. 

For some of us there is an underlying dread about the after Christmas credit card bills, unmet gift expectations and the concern that Uncle Charlie might imbibe a bit too much and become embroiled in a loud disagreement with someone over politics.  The pressure steals so much of the joy we should be experiencing, that we eagerly await December 26th so we can take it all down.

Lord Jesus, I don’t think this is at all what You had in mind when You left Your seat at the right hand of the Father to live among sinners, the unrepentant and the unwashed.  You left the opulence of Heaven to take the lowest place.  You exchanged royal robes and a scepter for a servant’s towel and carpenter’s tools.  Two thousand years later we gather in celebration of your birth, but find ourselves buying gifts for one another instead of You, the One whose birth we celebrate.  But what to offer the One who literally has everything?  Certainly tangible things wouldn’t be the best gift.  You could merely speak it them existence yourself.  We want to offer You something beautiful, something precious and something that will last.  

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.” - I Corinthians 13:13. The most lasting gifts we can offer You are our faith, hope and the greatest of all, love.  

Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus.  Lord Jesus, thank You for coming as Emmanuel, God with us.  Walking the Earth, Your gifts of love were not wrapped with paper and bows or bought in a store.  They were on full display in the laying on of hands, the feeding of the poor, the donning of a towel to wash dusty feet and through offering outstretched arms nailed to a tree.

Lord, I lift my friend.  We praise You for Your ultimate gift.  While we also enjoy the cultural trimmings of the season, we ask that they would not overshadow the treasure in the manger, the simplicity of the scene, or the monumental impact of the message.  Lord, may our gift to You be our sincere love and faithful obedience.  May the gifts we offer one another look less like something from Costco and more like the laying on of hands, the feeding of the poor, the donning a towel to wash dusty feet and the offering of outstretched arms of love and forgiveness to embrace the hurting, broken, forgotten, rejected, misunderstood and disenfranchised.  May we offer the greatest and most lasting of all gifts, love.  Then, when Christmas morning has been fully opened, the trash can is full of the remains of torn wrapping paper and discarded boxes and bows, may the gifts our guests treasure most of all be memories of our touch on their shoulder, the meeting of eyes and the warm embrace and the love they felt.  Help us to focus on giving the greatest gift this year.  And may my precious friend receive the same gift in return.  In Jesus Name ❤️

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