perfect gift

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!