Four and a half years ago, I found myself on a bus at 3 am in the country of Peru, 3,000 miles away from home, exhausted and sick, actually, with what I later found out was whooping cough. That was the beginning of a long week— my first mission trip. I wanted that trip to be my “Here am I” experience. Instead, I found myself complaining a lot. I'm tired of eating rice and beans. Why does Peruvian dust make it so hard to breathe? (turns out that was the whooping cough). If there was one thing I learned from that trip, it was that it's not easy to open your arms and say, “Here am I, send me.”

I think often about what I experienced in that week. I think about what I was doing wrong. I think about the sort of culture shock that I felt, realizing for probably the first time how rich I really am, how blessed my life in America is. I think about my attitude. I think about the way I interacted with people.

I can't say that I'm proud of what happened during that week. But I can say that I learned from it. During this Christmas season of giving, the lessons I learned from that trip become relevant all over again.

God gave us the ultimate gift in His Son, Jesus, who was ready and willing to give Himself up to die for us. And our only response can be to give our lives to Him. But when you give your life in service to God, truly give it. Let Him handle the outcome and let Him give the increase. With the attitude of our Savior in mind, we can truly open our hearts, look to God, and say, “Here am I, send me.”

The most important gift ever given was Jesus Christ. But the second most important gift is when you give yourself.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." -Galatians 2:20