What was your favorite Christmas gift growing up as a child?

It is the season of gift giving, and I’ve been trying to think of perfect gifts for those I love. It’s a hard task, a daunting one, one that makes me think. Deeply. Sometimes it bends the mind. But on my quest to find that perfect something for each person on my list, I’m prompted of my own childhood.

And I go back in time:

Christmas Eve. The awe and wonder of it. A ten-year-old boy lost in the moment. Jumping out of the car at Grandma’s house. Breathing in crisp, frosty air. The pleasant smell of a wood stove’s smoke, lingering. Excitement. Racing into a house stuffed full of cousins. The chaos. A house of love and laughter and smiles. Pizzelles. Chestnuts.

And to a kid, the highlight of the night was the moment when each of us opened one present. One. A special one. A prelude to what would come. And I opened mine: a toy Transformer. A robot that turned into a disguise. Yes, I was an 80’s kid.

And that one transformer stayed by my side. All through the night. A night that continued. I probably ate more pizzelles. We went off to candlelight service. Carols. Silent Night. Siblings sitting in a row, staring into twinkling lights. The mystery of it all. A kid marveling in special feelings he couldn’t understand. Ones he couldn’t process.

Going to sleep that night was hard—as every Christmas Eve. It was hard to sleep with so much emotion. Driving around the neighborhood from Gram’s to church to home, seeing the lights, the decorations, I didn’t want it all to come and go in an instant. The anticipation of what Christmas morning might be like. In a few short hours, Dad would joke with his usual wisecracks, saying he had to go “check the barn first” before we could open anything. The water pipes were never frozen, but he sure liked to tease us about them. Living on a dairy farm had its humor. But when would morning come? What time is it? What will I get for Christmas this year?

Am I alone? Are other kids across the world not sleeping tonight?

Expectation. Nerves on edge. Awaiting.

A Christmas Gift.

And as I drift in nostalgia—enjoying the moment my young heart relished in innocent expectation—I realize there is one better. Perhaps the most treasured gift was with me all along.

Luke 2:11-12 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

With all the love God had, He wrapped His gift in swaddling cloths, placing His son under the star that showed the way to Him. Angels announced this gift. Shepherds came to see. God’s gift of Jesus Christ was placed in a manger so you and I could enjoy salvation: A gift no other could ever give.

God alone could give this present, and there was nobody next in line ready to give the same gift. There was no other way; there was no substitute. This one-of-a-kind, unique, and never-to-be-outdone gift tops anything that you and I could ever deserve. Yet God gives it to us freely. The perfect gift each of us needs.

The perfect gift.

Looking back, maybe that’s why my young heart couldn’t process the awe and wonder of Christmas that night. Maybe it’s not possible to process it. The lights. The sparkle. How can one put eternity into a package? All I know is that my heart is changed. Forever.

And yours can be too.

I deeply desire to give gifts that matter. And as I stress to find that perfect gift for all those on my list, I realize I’ll never come close to what has already been given.

And so, I hold the greatest gift ever. Already in my hands. Already in my heart. And regardless of whether I can find everything for those I’m shopping for or not, if I share Jesus, I’m passing out the greatest gift of all. 

By Chuck Carr

If you are someone touched by the message of this post, the gift of salvation can be yours today. Isn’t that what God desires? For you to accept the priceless gift He longs for you to receive?

It’s very simple. In the quiet and belief of your heart, say prayer, with your own words:

Jesus, I thank you for the salvation you give me. I believe you came into the world to save me. To die and rise again to give me life. I accept what you did to save me, a sinner. Thank you for the precious gift of life you give me today. I am yours. Please, be mine.

Amen.

Comments welcome.