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Another year has passed,
and the season of joy and celebration of Jesus’ birth is here again!
Jesus is unbelievably generous to all of us and gives me so much more
than I could ever give back to Him. Even though today is His birthday, He
pours out gifts upon all of us every day.
Even though I may not be
rich in material things, and this year there will be little under my
tree, the gifts that I have received this year wouldn't fit under any tree!
The Lord has given me gifts that come wrapped in all sorts of different
packages, different colors, different sizes and shapes. These treasures
just can't fit under a tree, but they are gifts that are far beyond any
price I could ever pay.
Some of these gifts come
in packages of soft fabric of earth tones in the form of warm, empathetic
friends who are there with a soothing hug and a gentle smile. Others are
more sturdily built, solid practical wrappings that reveal friends who
remind me about my appointments, fix something that I don't know how to,
and give me advise that isn't tainted by my emotions. Bright colorful
packages that surprise me with the gift of joy from bubbly outgoing
friends who help me to see the delightful world the Lord gave us. They
help me to develop the ability to laugh with total abandon at the quirks
of everyday life.
The Lord has given me the
gift of friends who pray with me, challenge me and inspire me to go
further into the things of God. They point me to the ultimate giver,
Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life, that I might live and who rose
from the dead so I may be in intimate acquaintance with His Father, thru
Him.
My tree may be meager, but my heart is
full with the true riches of life that last way beyond any earthly
treasure. And I can't help but remember that humble birth that would
ultimately culminate in my Savior being hung on a tree - an adorning
ornament for all mankind, one with which each of us can choose to
decorate our tree of life. I hope your Christmas is one that draws you
closer and closer into His presence, and deeper and deeper in love with
the One who gave so much so that we might be redeemed.
Curtis
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