Everybody has something that energizes them—perhaps an area
of expertise, a craft that puts them in their “element,” a certain something
that just is… their forte. Hobbies, careers, sports, etc. we all got something.
I meet up with one of my own such passions every year. Its scent flutters
through the air come November. And December sings it all into red and green
being. You’re hearing it now. You know what I’m saying. Yes. I. LOVE.
Christmasing.
Now I know
that’s not a word, but bear with me. While others fear the so called “hustle
and bustle”—better translated in their minds as “stressing and straining”—I’m
put in one of my best moods. I know that the shopping and the wrapping and the
presents and even the giving of Christmas don’t encompass what it’s really
about. But these things bring me joy all the same! I LOVE buying gifts. I LOVE
wrapping gifts. I love the anticipation and excitement of surprising and
pleasing. It delights me. And it is my element. All the Christmas festivities
put me in this beautiful aura that I can’t ever shake. It’s no obligation for
me. It’s pure delight.
I was
thinking on this; wondering at how God made me this way. These things seem to
illuminate my world every year—I could glow from the love of it. I don’t want
it to shadow over the real meaning for our celebration here. The glory of
Christ’s coming just IS no matter how much we forget it under a bunch of
holiday stress and tradition. We might replace it with some of the latter in
our hearts, but nothing can ever dethrone the magnificence of Christ’s birth in
reality. He is God and He was born as a babe by a virgin. And so thinking on my
sort of “Christmas infatuation,” I wondered… is it wrong that I get caught up in all of this?
If you
think about the highly solicited idea of Christmas being a season of giving,
and then you wonder at its origin, could it be that it was inspired by God’s
perfect gift? The delight I receive in finding the perfect gift, wrapping it up
beautifully, and awaiting its reception… is that not what God did when He gave
His Son?
“Every good
and perfect is from above and comes down from the Father of the Heavenly lights…”
(James 1:17). It’s so easy to fall into this understanding that God doesn’t
give us good things. Now He’s definitely not any kind of “Santa” figure: always
giving us exactly what we want and when. But He loves to delight! He loves
beautiful, good things! Why else would He make a beautiful human and say “it is
good”? Why, then, would He make a beautiful woman for a beautiful man and say
“it is very good”? He gave us our emotions in which delight, happiness, joy,
passion, and excitement are all a part. He created beautiful things. He gave us
beautiful relationships. And He gave us the only perfect Savior. He had a
perfect plan in this too. He didn’t send Jesus immediately following man’s fall
in the garden. He knew the perfect time would come. Don’t you think He
anticipated it?? Don’t you think He was blessed and excitedly awaiting that day
when Christ would be born into our dark world to shine His light brightly?
Don’t you wonder at the pleasure it gave Him to reconcile man to Himself? His
beautiful gift, Jesus, delivered; wrapped up so perfectly in the wonder of a
baby. Babies ARE so beautiful, aren’t they? What better wrap job than that.
I’ve
thought on these things as I myself excitedly wrap gifts for my own baby girl
and my sweet husband. I know my little one won’t even really understand what’s
going on when the paper is torn and something new to look at and discover is
uncovered. She’ll probably like the paper more than anything! And yet there’s
this joy I have in lavishing her with good things. For my husband too! I love
to try to surprise him beyond the things he suggested for gifts. I delight in
all of it. If I’m a fallen human being, weak and selfish, and I rejoice in
these kinds of festivities, how much more would our perfectly loving Father?
Our all-knowing, almighty God, who OWNS this world and everything in it? He
knows the things that would bless His children so perfectly. He gives good
gifts, as the verse in James says. The Bible says if He gave Jesus, the
ultimate gift, how much more would He supply for all our needs. Danny and I
have experienced these things. We’ve seen provision “out of the glorious riches
in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4).
Back when I
worked at a little local coffee shop, there was one day (out of a handful) that
was particular rough. I believe I had a longer shift and was feeling weighed
down and overwhelmed. Danny and I were engaged at the time. I think we were in
full swing of wedding planning. I’m sure between that, personal stress, and the
unpredictable that came with my job, I was feeling down. My husband, fiancé at
the time, was supposed to come by for a visit later that day. I found myself
praying what might seem like a silly prayer. But, in my head I was asking for
God to put it on his heart to bring me flowers—something to simply bless and
cheer me up. I didn’t have my heart all set on it as though I’d be completely
disappointed if he didn’t. And sure enough, enter fiancé minus the flowers. Not
the end of the world. If I remember right, he was off to work himself. Later
that night I waited for him to get off so we could spend some time. At my
folks’ house, where I was living, I had been reclining on the couch venting
some of my overwhelmed self to my mom (she’s a patient, gracious Mother). I got
the text that Danny was on his way. So I waited for what seemed a little longer
than it should take him to arrive. But when he did come through the door,
probably sometime as late as nine o’clock, there he was, a bouquet of flowers
in hand. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t even told him. No one knew. No one but
Jesus. And it’s just His style to do something so small and yet so perfect like
that. On the drive to my house, Danny said he got the thought to stop and pick
up some flowers. I cried.
He does it.
Things as small as flowers and as big as our salvation. And with perfect
timing, leaving us stunned and beyond blessed. I was that day. He cares for us.
And
something yet sweeter is how unworthy we are. We don’t deserve any of it! It
reads, “While we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.” God wasn’t thinking, when He sent us the biggest and best
Christmas gift ever, that everybody that year had been good. He wasn’t up there
checking the list and weighing the naughty and nice. He gave His Son
unconditionally. Jesus came and then He died. He didn’t die for the people who
deserved it, who were or are particularly repentant for their sin, or serve Him
zealously. He died for the whole world.
His forgiveness is a gift despite us. His blood poured out was the perfect
offering whether we receive its cleansing flow or not. I heard the idea this
way: how come on the celebration of Christ’s birthday, we get the gifts? That’s the whole point, isn’t it? Grace! Jesus
came to this world; God became flesh.
He was (and is) the only thing good. While we were
depraved, perverted, and stuck hopelessly in sin, He came and died to save and
bring us into glory. We get the gifts now. We are co-heirs with Christ. He
loves us. He wants us to share in Him—all things good and right and perfect, as
He intended. The gift of Jesus was and is unconditional. And that’s what makes
it wholly perfect. In some ways it’s sad that Christmas presents became a
reward for good behavior because that certainly wasn’t the cause of the first
and best Christmas gift. God is love. He loves us. Every good and perfect gift
is from Him, and not due to our outstanding service, charity, goodness, or
altruistic character. He’s just that gracious. And that good.
So when I
get to spend the sweet time searching for those perfect gifts, wrapping them up
all pretty, and awaiting the time they’ll be received and enjoyed, I think it’s
just a simple reminder that God is that good. His heart was and is to lavish
generously, to give us all things good through His Son. It’s wonderful that I
get to share in a type of that same joy, the joy of His Son’s birth, when His
perfect redemption began to unfold. Perhaps you could even go as far to think
the gift of His Son slowly unwrapped through His life and ministry, but
ultimately in His death and glorious resurrection.
Think on
these sweet things amidst the shopping and gifts. Think how much the Lord loves
you to have sent redemption by way of a beautiful baby, the Living God made
flesh. He wanted to step into our world personally to show just how personally
and perfectly He loves us.
p.s. I love the word Noel.
Merry Christmas!