The Greatest Gift

I saw this video on another website and had to share.  Jimmy Kimmel explains the premise in the first 20 seconds, but the jist is that parents gave their kids "bad" early Christmas gifts and taped it.  It's pretty funny.

Too funny.  I love it when the mom explains that they thought really hard about what to get them for Christmas and then the kid says "well you didn't do a very good job."  Now, this isn't the best analogy because these parents purposefully gave their kids bad presents, but sometimes I think we react like these kids even when God gives us good things.  We don't see the good - just the bad.  Like the kids that threw fits and cried about what they received, I can be just like that over a gift that God gives.  All good things come from the Lord.  But sometimes those good things are wrapped up in what appear to be bad things.  What we might think is a horrible gift may turn out to the best gift of all.  Are you tracking with me?  Like the girl that ate the brown banana, she found the good stuff - the super sweet inside.  It just looked gross from the outside, but we all know those gross, brown bananas make the best banana bread.  And it's the hard circumstances in life, losing a job, having a larger than usual heating bill, having to confront a friend and maybe lose the friendship, arguing with your husband/kids/family, and the list goes on and on.  In those times, it's hard to say "I like this - thanks!"  and it's easy to say "c'mon, Lord - I don't need this right now."  But sometimes we do.  Sometimes we need those gross, terrible situations to make us see ourselves as we really are push towards something better.  How many people do you hear never would've started that business/ministry/project if they hadn't lost their job?  Or because a couple went through losing a job/financial struggles/issues with family they became closer to God & ultimately have a stronger marriage?  It's these things in life that God uses to shape us.  And they are gifts, even if we can't see it at the time.

This year I have been more reflective on what it meant for Jesus to come down to earth, live the life he lived & do it all to die for me.  He was born to die.  Last night at our small group Christmas party, we each held a candle and passed around the flame symbolizing Christ (the light) coming into our dark world.  As we went around the circle and lit each other's candles we said "Jesus Christ, born to die for me and for you."  It was humbling.  The fact that Christ came to this world to not only show us the way to Himself and ultimately to a relationship with God, but to die.  To pay the price for our sins.  That is why He was sent.  It reminds again of this song I posted a few weeks ago.  How many kings do you know have abandoned their thrones to die for you?  I only know of one - His name is Jesus.  And He is the reason I celebrate this season of hope, joy and peace.  Because without Him my life would be hopeless, joyless and full of chaos.  It's because of Christ, the greatest gift, that I can say in the midst of ugly gifts, "this is good God, because it is from you."

If you need a reminder of the greatest gift ever given, tonight (the 23rd) and tomorrow on Christmas Eve, Bethel Prosser is putting on a drive through nativity.  It will be from 6-8pm both nights at the newly acquired property for their future building behind Tom Denchel Ford.  Just follow the star!

May the Lord use this season to speak to your heart about His gift to you.