This one is especially important to me as I reflect on the meaning behind the silvery tinsel, twinkly lights, and promising presents. All my favorite parts of Christmas, all my favorite parts of the season really, are because of a very special gift. This gift was given to me, not because I deserved it, or because that's what you do this time of year, no, this gift was given because it needed to be given. This is a gift that came in the most precious of packages, but in the most unexpected way I could ever imagine. In my lifetime, there is no way I'll ever be able to give a gift like the one I received, and I couldn't even begin to reciprocate a gift of this magnitude. What I can do is share it.
I wasn't actually there when this gift was given to me, but that doesn't lessen the value it holds in my life. It was still for me. It came when a very special young lady was chosen for her willingness to serve God. Regardless of the way it would ruin her reputation, her relationships, everything she had ever known, she chose to give herself and her future to God. I cannot imagine having to tell my fiance, my family, his family, my friends, everyone, that I was pregnant. It wasn't like today. It's not like she could just take care of "the problem."
The next part of the gift came when a man, who didn't really understand what was happening chose to believe what he had been told and marry his fiance regardless of that fact that she was pregnant and the baby wasn't his.
Then at an extremely, largely uncomfortable stage of the pregnancy this couple had to walk to their king ordained vacation destination. It was his hometown, but she had never been there before. She wasn't sure what to expect from this place where her baby would more than likely be born. And she was VERY pregnant. After the long and tiring journey they took to give me my gift, there was no where for them to stay. Hotel reservations weren't just a mouse click away with name-your-own-price options. There simply wasn't a room anywhere in town. But one of the hotel owners took pity on this young mother waddling from door-to-door and offered them both room in his barn. (This may sound weird to people living in the city, but I have hidden gifts in the greenhouse, shop, barn, tack room--some things just don't fit under my bed.) I'd like to believe he even threw down some clean straw for them. I would if I had to put someone up in my barn, I mean, I do it when the animals are going to have their babies, I'd definitely do it for people. Then I'm sure he apologized once again and left the couple to settle in.
It was while they were staying in the barn, waiting their turn to check in for the census that my gift came. They wrapped him in some cloths, pushed the animals away from the feed trough and pulled it over by them, fluffed some of that clean straw into it, and laid him down while his mom rested and his step-dad cleaned everything up.
He had some visitors, but only those who knew where to look for such a special gift. It's like the gifts that I hide in those places around the farm--no one looks for them until I tell them where to look, because they aren't expecting a present to be there. So, I'm telling you where to look. I've enjoyed my gift for most of my life, but not everyone knows that they can look in a barn for their gift too. Take the time to look. My gift didn't end there. That baby that was born for me, grew up, and then he died for me too. Look for your gift. Look in the stable. And then look on the cross. He's not there anymore, but his gift still is. Look for what he gave you.
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10 (NKJV)
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