Written by: Jenny Calvert
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. John 3:16 (KJV)
When I was a child, my dad took an old bike and painted it
for me. He painted it light blue, and
added dark blue hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs all over it. He put a lot of time into his work to give me
a gift. I knew it was an old bike, but
to me, it was better than any new bike could ever be. This one had been
personalized, just for me, by my Daddy’s hands. It was never the bike that was the gift. It
was love given to me as a gift.
On another occasions, my mom and sister spent many hours
making me Barbie doll clothes as a gift. They were tediously made, with tiny
little seams and hems. I was thrilled
and spent many hours dressing my doll in her beautiful outfits. Again, this was
memorable because they had made it especially for me with their love.
We did not have much when I was a kid, but I never felt
unloved. I was blessed by these gifts, and they bring back special memories.
These were not just presents, but were true labors of love.
As we begin to celebrate Christmas, thoughts of gifts and
gift giving will be on our minds. The greatest gift ever given was God’s gift
to us. This was a gift for which the world had been waiting. A promise had been
made, many years prior, that one would come to save the world. The world waited
with expectancy.
Then it happened; a baby boy was born in a stable. His name
was Jesus. He grew and taught, healed, cautioned, and performed miracles, but
mostly He loved and had compassion on us.
He was on this earth for only 33 years, yet His story will be told
forever. His entire purpose was a journey to His death on a cross for the
redemption of our sins. The grave did not hold Him though, as He resurrected
and gives us the promise of life everlasting.
This can be a gift for each of us, but a gift is not ours if
we don’t receive it. This Christmas, reach out and accept the gift that can
change a life forever: God’s gift to us, a true labor of love.
Dear God,
Thank you for the greatest gift ever given. I accept your
gift of salvation through Jesus your son.
Amen
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