It was Christmas morning and I was seven years old, my mom filled a ton of boxes with little coupons that I could redeem for items on shopping trip with her. I opened a few of these boxes to find coupons for new clothes. I was so excited for an opportunity to do shopping just me and mom. Then I got to a box that I was so excited to open, it was purple and had a pretty bow on it, when I opened it there where a few more boxes in it. I went ahead and opened the other boxes. When I got to the last box it was empty.
This was a huge disappointment to me, but my mom just said that she forgot to put the coupon in there and I could pick out something at the store. I was fine with that. I was actually excited for the endless possibilities I would get to chose from. The only thing is this was not the only empty box I opened that Christmas. There were a few empty boxes for me to open. When we were all done opening presents I realized that I did not have half the presents that everyone else had. This was really disappointing to me even though my mom did this by complete accident and we were going to go shopping the next day.
Even though this might have been my worst Christmas Day ever so far, God has used it to teach me more about him. Over ten years later I realized something as I was opening my mom's gift to me this Christmas. Jesus never gives us empty boxes. Jesus fills all our boxes and not just with a coupon, but with the real thing. Jesus never forgets to put the gift in the box before he gives it to us.
Christmas this year was one of the best ones yet. My mom has since made up for the year of empty boxes. That being said Christmas is about the best gift ever given and that did not come in an empty box and we do not even have to use a coupon to get it.
Jesus Christ is the best gift the world has ever received. He is the best gift ever given to you and me and all we have to do is receive him.
When I was in fifth grade all I wanted for Christmas was a guitar. I begged and begged my parents to get me it. I finally got it, after my mom sent me on a scavenger hunt through the house. Even though I have never learned to play the guitar, it is still the most thoughtful gift I have ever received from any human. The gift of Jesus is even better than that. It is filled with more thought and love than anything my mom could ever give me.
I remember when I received my first gift card. I thought it was the coolest thing. It was the first time I ever had money in card form. The gift card was to Target for $20. That was so much for me to comprehend. I thought of everything I could buy with that. I do not fully remember what I bought with that gift card. I have heard people describe gift cards as the gift that keeps on giving. The real gift that keeps on giving is Jesus. He is so full of grace and love that we will never fully understand. That is what is so cool about it. Every time we learn something new about Jesus we are drawn closer to him and that is a gift in itself. Jesus is also not a gift we only received on Christmas and then put on a shelf and forgot about when we get something better next Christmas. Jesus is a gift that lasts the day after Christmas and the day after, into eternity.
Jesus does not not come in empty boxes and is not redeemable with a coupon. He comes in a box with the real thing and lasts forever. We just have to receive him and he never leaves us feeling like an empty box either.
