What Shall I Give Him?

Ok, I will be honest. I enjoy receiving presents. I look forward to unwrapping them and seeing what people have given me. However, giving gifts outweighs my own fleshly desires. I enjoy picking stuff out, wrapping it, and keeping it secret. That is so much fun! Yet in the hustle and bustle of things, I think we all can tend to forget someone on our "shopping list." After all, whose birthday are we supposed to be celebrating? We don't, at least intentionally, forget our friends; therefore, how can we forget our Heavenly Father, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Now, I don't want you all to think that I have a problem with presents and that we shouldn't give them to one another. Nor do I want you to think I am belittling you. I just wanted to write about something that has become very dear to my heart for the past two, now three, Christmases.

Mom was the one who started this. She said that we all needed to give a gift to Jesus. I liked the idea. I spent hours trying to figure out what it was that I should give God. Now, I knew he had zero interest in Nintendo, ipods, novels, etc. So, what was I to do? Well, I figured out that He didn't want something material; he wanted something internal. He wanted me to surrender a portion of my life over to Him. So, that first year, I gave him the gift of spending more time in His Word. By the time last Christmas rolled around, I was the one who was all excited to be giving a gift to Jesus. It was pretty much the same as the previous year.

This year, though, I felt him telling me to do something different. At first I wasn't sure, but as I thought about it, I just knew it was the right thing. Do you ever get that feeling? Once I got what to give nailed down, I didn't know how to give it. Again, I spent some time thinking about it. I felt that a poem was the way this year, and that's what I did. So, with my brain going to work, I wrote down what I was going to give. I printed it out on some decorative paper, and wrapped it to be opened on Christmas Day.

Now, it is really difficult keeping true to what I said I would do. I think it will be especially hard this year. But, you know, I believe to know where the key to success lies. If the Lord knows that I really want to remain true to my promise, and I really pray about it, He will give me the strength to leave it in His hands. (However, I think it will STILL be hard!)

Perhaps not giving a gift to the Lord is for everybody, yet I want you to think about it. It doesn't even have to be with family; it can be in the privacy of your own room, just you and God. He knows your heart. I really think He would enjoy hearing from you this Christmas.


(Well, I think this will be my final post until after the holidays. I could surprise you and post, but I think that will be very unlikely. So, may you have a very Merry Christmas. May you have a wonderful day with family and friends as we celebrate this holiday. May the thought of Bethlehem, of the faith of Mary, and the love of Christ, be first in your mind this forthcoming weekend. It will be hard for all of us to remember, but let's try! I love you all, and will be thinking of you. I can't wait to hear of your Christmas Memories! God Bless!!)