Dec
4
2018
A Gift Unnoticed
Posted in Christmas 2 Comments
I heard the ding of the text message.
I saw that it was from my daughter.
I saw that she sent it to the whole family.
I noticed that she sent a picture.
I read the caption.
Benefits of a baby: Wrapping presents right in front of her. She has no idea.
I saw my sweet granddaughter on the floor with a blanket toy in her hand.
I knew that this is the toy with which she plays peek-a-boo, her new found skill.
I could imagine my daughter playing with her as she wrapped her presents.
I could imagine her saying, Where did she go? There she is, over and over again.
I could imagine the smiles and giggles as my granddaughter thinks she is really hiding.
I could imagine my daughter laughing along with her as she cut and taped the box.
My granddaughter was in the background of the picture.
The present was in the foreground.
Everyone commented in some way, whether with words or an emoji.
My granddaughter was right there as her present was being wrapped; she was oblivious to it.
I know that my daughter realizes that this is not the way it is always going to be.
My granddaughter will become more aware.
My daughter will have to wrap her presents in secret.
I remember it well.
I remember wrapping presents while my children were at school.
I remember my husband taking them all out to do something fun, which gave me a few hours.
I remember my back being so stiff from leaning over to wrap all the boxes for five children.
They would come home and have no idea that I was working hard while they were gone.
Gifts were hidden until Christmas Eve after they all went to bed.
I have no idea how they never found the wrapped gifts.
I have heard stories through the years of discovery and secret whispers.
For all intents and purposes, my gift hiding was successful.
I thought of my little granddaughter on the floor.
She was content to play her little peek-a-boo game.
She had no idea that such a marvelous gift was right next to her.
She was oblivious to the gift that was so near she could reach out and touch it.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
God has given us a Gift.
It is right there in front of us.
God’s Gift is the Gift of His Son, Jesus.
Not all people will notice God’s Gift.
Many are so busy playing with their toys, they are oblivious to the Gift of God.
Many are so concerned with building their own kingdom, they do not care about God’s.
Many think that all the good gifts they have in their life are from their own hand.
Many fail to realize that everything they have and everything they are is a Gift from God.
God’s Gift of His Son is the easiest Gift to miss.
There it is, right in front of you, but the cares of this world obscure the view.
It is a Gift that you put aside to think about later.
Sometimes later is too late.
My granddaughter had no idea of the wonderful gift that was right next to her.
Her soft blanket toy was all she could see.
She could not fathom the fun she will have with the toy her mommy was wrapping.
The gift will be given to her on Christmas Day.
That is when God gave the Gift of His Son, Jesus.
That is why we celebrate Christmas.
All the things of the world, that we hold so tightly, pale in comparison to God’s Gift.
God wrapped the Gift of His Son as well.
Jesus, God’s Gift, was wrapped in flesh.
The Incarnation brought God to earth.
God came down.
Some people missed Him.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you. (Luke 19:41-44)
If they had only known.
They too busy to notice.
There will be a time when it is too late.
However, there is still time to see the Gift of God that is before you.
Reach out.
Take hold.
Do you see it there?
God’s gift to us is His Son, Jesus, our Savior.
So true–in this busy and tech-filled world Jesus often gets lost. Many people think they have “all the time in the world” to make Him important, but that time may never come. I think of the quote (from the Bible?) “None are so blind as those who will not see.”
Sue,
I pray that this Advent season, many will take hold of the Gift of Jesus and not be too preoccupied with other things.
Gina