A CHRISTMAS REFLECTION

 

                                                            A Christmas Reflection

            I remember one Christmas when I had no money to spend on gifts.  My husband and I had got past the need for expensive presents and learned to enjoy the intangible gifts of nature and family.  But how my mother’s heart ached for my two teenagers.

            A few days before Christmas, I felt stirring up in me an idea for two individualized wall-hangs.  I found some brightly striped canvas, dowels, scraps of felt, inexpensive gold ornaments and a tube of “Goop” glue, which will affix anything to anything and never come off.

            For my musical son, who thought Sesame street characters “cool” at that time, I designed a wall-hang with Bert, Ernie, Oscar and Big Bird playing musical instruments, labelled “MUSIC!”

            What fun I had making the characters, planning the design and colours.  For my daughter, active at church, I placed gold angels, violins, flowers and flutes in a pleasing arrangement in the centre, and cut out co-ordinating felt letters to spell “ALLELUIA!” to celebrate the season.

            Joy replaced my grief.  I had a unique gift for each child:  the gift of my soul.  It was their choice whether to appreciate it or not.  And the timeliness, the hearing of my heart’s cry, and the awakening of my unfulfilled artistic side were very much God’s gift to me.

            God’s provision is always perfect in its timing and execution, though often misunderstood.  The birth of Jesus was like that.  Wrapped in swaddling clothes in that manger long ago was the very best gift for all mankind – the One who brings reconciliation with God and the hope of Heaven.

            Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words.  2 Cor.:15 (NCV)

 

 

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