Have you ever opened a gift on Christmas Morning and thoroughly disliked it? True story: A friend and I swapped presents once. A fellow-classmate bought me … Well, it was shaped like a ball with sticky-up bits all around, and when you switched it on, it vibrated. I don’t mean just slightly; it jiggled about so much that if you put it on the floor, it would actually move. It was quite freaky, and my sister or my dad would put it in my chair when I was out of the room, so I’d come back in, sit on it and jump out of my skin! I wanted it out of the house as quickly as possible! She bought my friend a set of vanilla toiletries. My friend hates vanilla, so we swapped and all was well. To find that perfect Christmas gift, you need to get to know a person – their likes and dislikes. That’s why I think it’s so important to spend time with friends – because they’ll drop things into a conversation.
I’ve written on my blog before about one of my favourite Christmas memories. When I walked round the corner to deliver a card, what I thought would be a five-minute visit turned into several hours. It was December 23rd – the last Saturday before Christmas. I was used to people madly rushing around – handing out cards and presents; making sure the best cutlery was all spruced up; starting on the base of the trifle, but here my friends were – unhurried, and happy to have me in their home, even though it was completely unplanned. I think that’s a modern-day example of John’s call to “lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16).
But what made them want to have me in their home in the first place? What makes me decide to track down that all-important present? It’s to do with how I see the other person. I see value in them, and the card or gift is an opportunity to put that across. There’s a song by Philippa Hanna called “Raggedy Doll”. I actually prefer the other version (where she collaborated with Triple O), because they use the rap to explain the story behind the song – a story of this great Toymaker who spends many hours crafting a ragdoll just the way He wants her, but the doll can’t see the qualities He sees in her, and she pleads with Him to make some changes. The end of the verse says:
“You are beautifully and wonderfully made,
“I don’t make mistakes and I wouldn’t change a thing”. It can bring tears to my eyes sometimes when I listen, because it reminds me of when I first became a Christian. I was brought up short because of how envious I was, and yet I felt God telling me He loved me. Before there was any change in my behaviour, God reached out to me with His love.
Jesus always sees value in us – always, even when we’re less than ideal. Jesus laid down His life for us. He didn’t just earmark one afternoon to spend time with us; He gave His whole life so we could have a meaningful relationship with God, and Jesus knows us intimately. No weird vibrating balls for me in God’s kingdom! His plan for our life will fit perfectly with who we’re called to be. No wonder Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:15: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”!
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