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We recently received this poignant reflection from a man in prison on the joy of Christmas Day and the gifts God is ready to give us every day of the year. We hope this helps you get in the holiday spirit as much as it has helped us!
Do you remember what it felt like as a child to wake up on Christmas Day and race from your bedroom to discover presents under the tree? Anticipation and excitement swirled inside you at a dizzying pace, and as you reached for each gift with your name on it, were you a careful unwrapper? Or did you tear into the paper with wild excitement?
The Bible says that the first gift God offers us is eternal life, accepted through faith. Eternal life would be a pretty big Christmas gift to open by anyone’s standard! Remember your childlike wonder on Christmas Day, the waiting, the expectancy, the genuine expression of surprise and delight? Jesus loves that childlike wonder and excitement, that genuine expression of surprise and delight. In fact, when asked who was the greatest in Heaven, Jesus answered, “‘I tell you the truth. Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven,” (Matthew 18:3-4)
He wants us to keep praying and keeping this childlike nature as we get to know Him and unwrap His gifts, because children have an open, accepting, non-critical, and trusting attitude. Having this attitude should be easy as God’s gifts are so wonderful and available year round.
The question is: will we receive them?
Learn more about how you can send a very special Christmas gift to families torn apart by incarceration by visiting theocpm.org/nativity
