The gift of life
Matthew 2:11 (NIV)
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Good morning!
Part of the fun of the annual Christmas shopping excursion is seeking out the “perfect” gift for each family member. It really is a lot more fun than it looks. If any of you saw my picture plastered on the front page of the St. Louis Post Dispatch on Black Friday, please disregard the extraordinarily tired glare and the dark, black circles underneath my eyes. I really was having a great time (even though one might not guess that at first glance.) Of all the thousands of people out at 5am on Black Friday, I must have looked the most pathetic because the newspaper photographer took great delight in snapping my picture and posting it in the Saturday morning edition. Nothing says “Merry Christmas” quite like the perfect gift purchased at half price! Some things are worth getting up early for!
We spent a wonderful time with our children and grandchildren and our nieces, and their new babies yesterday. Pastor Jeff had the privilege of baptizing two of our great nieces on Christmas Eve. Little Samantha was sufficiently traumatized as she was taken from her mother’s arms by a big man in a black robe – she screamed the entire time! And on Christmas Day, every time she caught a glimpse of her great uncle, that precious baby girl started crying all over again! Sometimes, preachers can be very scary people.
We watched with delight as our grandbabies unwrapped their tiny treasures. The greatest gifts of all were not the presents wrapped in shiny Christmas paper embellished with ribbons and bows, sitting underneath the Christmas tree. Our children and grandchildren, parents and grandparents, nieces and nephews – they are our gift. Spending time with family and friends is the best present of all. There is no greater gift than the gift of life.
Wise men traveled a long way to see the newborn King. When they finally arrived at the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary. With great joy, they bowed down to worship Him. Then, they placed their very best treasure at His feet. Experiencing the gift of life always makes the journey worthwhile. Making time to worship the newborn King is time well spent. And the very best gift we can give our King is the gift of our heart. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Come and celebrate the gift today. Won’t you give the Christ child your greatest treasure? Won’t you give Him your heart?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: life! There is no greater gift than the gift of life that Jesus Christ offers to you. Give Him your heart, and receive the gift of everlasting life today.
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© Copyright 2006, Deb Spaulding
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