The Greatest Gift

This message was in a publication of Focus on the Family from my church. It's called "The Greatest Gift" by Rachael Carman, and I thought it was a lovely message for Christmas, so I'm posting it here:

"When I was a kid, Christmas was my favorite time of the year for all the wrong reasons. I loved making my wish list. My conversations with friends centered on the gifts we'd receive. And I had an arsenal of manipulative tactics ready to use on my parents. I do not remember a skimpy Christmas.

We had the stuff but not the Savior; we had the tree but not the manager; we had the lights but not the star. We had Christmas without Christ. And although we always had many presents and full stockings, the holiday was empty. His presence was missing.

I wish I could say it was easy for me to transition from a lifetime of wanting stuff to wanting Him. I grew accustomed to getting; I enjoyed being selfish. I did not realize how ugly it was--until my kids started getting old enough to respond to marketing.

This season isn't about extraordinary gifts but about celebrating Christ's birth. It's not about exhausted nights or expensive parties but about His extravagant love. It's not about rushing around but about resting in Him. With his focus, I can celebrate the greatest gift of all time, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God."

Merry Christmas.