Merry Christmas everyone! And yes, to some people’s astonishment I am sure, Canadians do celebrate Christmas on December 25th, just like Americans. However, we have adopted a British custom by having a statutory holiday as well on the 26th, which is called Boxing Day. I’m sure if you are interested you can do a search on your computer and find the correct origin of that day, however, around here it’s usually the day when all the things you got on the 25th that you didn’t like get put back in their boxes and returned to Walmart.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if everything you received in those beautiful wrappings was exactly what you were hoping for, or even better? Not just “close”, or “I thought you’d like this purple and pink frog lamp much better than the Tiffany glass one you showed me”…but so much more than you ever dreamed of that it blew you away. Once in awhile you may have a Christmas like that, but it doesn’t happen often.
It’s occasionally like that when we meet people. Once in awhile you meet that special person who is so much more wonderful than you expected at first. And then there are others. You know the kind: the outside looks wonderful, but inside is a whole different story. And then there are those that we meet and we find that their whole personality is wrapped in yet another layer. Some people are wrapped up in their jobs, some in their good deeds, and some in striving to reach some sort of unrealistic expectation that can never be achieved. And then there are those that are all wrapped up in themselves, which is probably the hardest to handle. I think we can all relate to one of those, maybe a bit too personally, because most of us have been there at some point in our lives.
Contrast this with the Heavenly Father lending us His Son for a short time here on earth. Mary and Joseph wrapped this precious gift in swaddling clothes. Ripped up pieces of old garments, thoroughly washed, enveloped the Almighty God of the Universe. The Word that spoke the world into existence, cried and wiggled inside a cocoon of rags.
I wonder how many times Mary had to wind and unwind those cloths, as she changed this Baby that would change the world. Not even Pampers for the King of Kings. Just rags.
God gave to us His greatest gift, born and wrapped in the humblest of ways. And Jesus grew up and lived His life clothed in humility as He demonstrated love to us.
Someday we will be clothed in our glorified bodies, with perfect minds and hearts and bodies. Till then, we are living in a fallen world, in mortal bodies, and fall so short of the glory of God. How can we then wrap ourselves up in anything else but humility, knowing how much He has done for us, and what a debt He paid for us?
Our Glorious Loving Saviour has given us the precious gift of Himself this Christmas. My hope and prayer is that you have accepted this gift and have allowed him to be your Saviour and Lord. That we would all realize how much we need to humble ourselves as His children, and walk in humility as He did. And that you would experience peace and joy in your life this Christmas. Have a blessed holiday season!
By Lorraine Walker
First published December 2005 on www.johnlanier.com
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