The Gift

"every good and perfect gift"

James 1:17

I'm thinking today, about the people I love the most.  My parents, my sisters, nieces and nephews; my in-laws, and of course my hubby and kids.  And the reason they are so much on my mind is because of all the shopping I did today. 

There's something fun about being out and about, and looking for just the right thing for someone.  There's the challenge of finding something you're sure they'll like, and yet that they don't have.  Or finding something that will surprise them, and remind them that they are thought of. 

And of course it's hard to think about love, and gift-giving, without remembering what the holiday is all about ~ Jesus' gift to us.

It's the greatest gift of all, I think for two reasons.  First of all, the complete selflessness of leaving His heavenly home to become so much less than He truly was:  human.  And secondly, the reason He did it ~ love. 

Almost everyone we love in our lives, we love for a reason:  what they've done for us, or how they make us feel.  The closest thing I think we can come, to understanding His love for us, is in loving our children, because we love them immediately, even though they've done nothing for us, and even though, a matter of months ago, they didn't even exist!

But Jesus took it one step further.  He loved us, knowing full well how we would ignore Him, insult Him, and steal the glory that is His.  He knew we'd disobey, and think only of ourselves.  And still, in His infinite grace, He lowered Himself to our level, to die like one of us, and offer us eternal life with Him.

There is joy in giving gifts to those we love, but there's even greater joy in accepting the gift from the One who loves us.

~ "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 

and we beheld His glory, 

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 

full of grace and truth." ~

John 1:14

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