While trying to make a perfect gift…

 

It’s getting down to crunch time.

A week from today is Christmas Eve.

I haven’t even begun to wrap any gifts, much less finish shopping for them.

But I’m trying…trying…to take some time…even for a moment…each day to allow God to remind me that Christmas isn’t all about driving all over town to find the “perfect gift” and a parking spot while listening to a song how Grandma who got run over by a reindeer.  (Hey, so glad some secular radio stations are playing traditional Christmas songs and hymns about Jesus, this month!)

It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the commercialized Christmas about having to buy presents, just because that’s what everyone’s supposed to do at Christmas.  So I’ve tried to come up with gift ideas that are from the heart, and homemade to make it a little more special than a gift card.

It’s not easy for me.

At all.

This past weekend I went all over town to find specific supplies to make a homemade gift.  It really would be a special gift with special meaning and it even wouldn’t cost too much.

So I got home, started the “craft” and 3 hours later there was paper everywhere, hot glue stuck to my fingers and the gun breaks, there’s so many "mess up attempts” on the counter and the two that were actually put together looked lopsided and well…awful!

I wanted to swear out loud but I controlled myself and whispered it loudly instead to myself so the kids couldn’t hear me in the other room as I opened the trash can and started dumping all that wasted materials, time, money and energy in the trash can.

Aaagghhhhh!

It wasn’t pretty.  My craft or my attitude. 

I go to bed exhausted and cover myself up to forget all about the disastrous attempt, ignore my frustration with myself, and hoped to find joy to start the week in the morning.  Thankfully, God’s grace covered me that night.

In the morning, I opened to Luke 2:10-14

“The angles said to them, ‘…I bring you good news that will cause great joy  for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’” (emphasis added)

That promise didn’t say “a Savior has been born; he is the Messiah…” 

His Word…His Promise…Jesus, the Savior… has been born to me and to you.

For you.

Jesus is the perfect gift that people look for everywhere but often don’t find because they get caught up in the commercialization and forget, or even worse ignore and hide in the closet with the gifts, the reason why Christmas is supposed to be celebrated.

This past Sunday, the teacher at the church we attend said at the end of his message:

He said, instead of saying,

“Jesus is the reason for the season,” we need to say “WE are the reason for the season.” 

We are the reason Jesus came to this earth.  He came to give us life, to give us hope, to give us joy.

The reason for this season is to remind us that He came to be our sacrifice and our salvation for us.

This season, let us remember that we are the reason Jesus came to this messed up world.  He still comes every day as a Savior, a perfect gift, in this messed up world…not just that day 2000 years ago.

Well…now I’m off to Target for the umpteenth time…this time for stocking stuffers.

 

Gladly joining in today with Emily Freeman’s Chatting at the Sky in her Tuesday Unwrapped link up!