This was a very different

This was a very different Christmas season for me. Since we took an unplanned trip to Florida in September and had some major car work done prior to that, we were extremely broke this Christmas. We finally made a decision to forego exchanging gifts both in our extended family and our immediate family. I was apprehensive at first, because even though we always celebrated Jesus (never Santa) at Christmas, we still enjoyed giving gifts to one another. It was simply family tradition. This year I really had more time to concentrate on what Christmas was about. I found myself thinking more about it being Jesus birthday and compared that to how we celebrate other birthdays. Well, for one, we usually give gifts to the one whose birthday we are celebrating. But what could I give Jesus? I have already given him my heart in salvation. What could you give the King of Kings, the creator of the universe, the One who already owns it all? Well, I began to think about it. What did I have that Jesus wanted? Whew, what a question! As I thought about that, there were lots of things that came to mind. No, not presents. Instead I thought of different things like fears, anger, selfishness, bitterness, worry, anxieties, control, hurts, and well, let's just say, there were lots of ideas to choose from. Jesus doesn't want any of those things for Himself, but He doesn't want me to have them. He wants me to give them all to Him and walk in the very freedom that He came to give me. It was a very enlightening exercise for me. I realized I had several things I could give Him after all. That was what I spent the rest of the Christmas season thinking about. Jesus, His birthday, and what I could give to Him.

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