Jesus, the Source of All Good Gifts
The doorbell rang and within seconds, all four children raced to the front door. When they opened it, there was no one to be found. Instead, a large box of wrapped gifts adorned our porch.
“Mom! Dad!” they all yelled in unison. “Come look!”
My husband and I made our way to the front door, our faces soon matching those of our children.
How in the world did someone manage to—I mean—who could have done this!?
Just as quickly as the children had gone silent, they now squealed with excitement and chatter. Look at all those gifts! It’s like they appeared out of nowhere! It’s a miracle!
It did feel like a miracle, but one that was about far more than the gifts themselves.
This had been a particularly difficult season for our family. Months prior, I (and all four of our kids) had been diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease after years of unexplained sickness, and we were now navigating expensive, out-of-pocket treatments. And to top things off, my husband’s company had laid off three-quarters of its employees weeks before Christmas (him included), leaving us with no income at all.
We sat our children down to explain that this Christmas season would look different than most. Our usual Christmas traditions would have to be scaled back; we may have to forgo a tree this year; and gifts would be scarce—if there were any at all.
In the weeks that followed, while there was certainly sadness over our perceived losses, there was also a sweet simplicity. In a season of less, our family was growing in gratitude for things we once glossed over, and were reminded afresh of the lasting gift we have in Jesus himself.
And yet, with hearts now expecting nothing, we were humbled by these anonymous gifts (which were amazingly personal to each person) and overwhelmed by God’s kindness.
Through the experiences of Wander, this creative retelling of the parable of the prodigal son teaches children ages 6–8 about the love of the heavenly Father and biblical truths about worth and identity.
It struck me afresh: God loves to give his children good gifts—not because we need them or deserve them, but because he simply loves to lavish good gifts upon his children who are dependent on him (Matt. 7:11). In this difficult season, it wasn’t about the gifts themselves, it was about experiencing the tangible, undeserved, lavish love of God in a way that we couldn’t deny—both through his presence in the losses and his personal, generous grace.
That Christmas season will be forever remembered as one our family’s most cherished, reminding us of how personally God cares for his children. But even more, that he alone is the source of our greatest joy.
Christmas Reveals the Longing of Our Hearts
Most likely, Christmas looks a little bit different for all of us. We have our own unique family traditions. Some of us enjoy the aroma and artistry (or lack of it) of cookie baking with family or friends. Some of us enjoy an annual Christmas lights drive, admiring the colorful, festive, creative decor of local neighborhoods. And many enjoy a time of daily advent around the kitchen table. We fill our calendars with parties, caroling and pageants, church activities, and family celebrations. And of course, many of us enjoy the hunt for the perfect Christmas gift that will elicit the greatest response of excitement and joy in the one we will gift it to.
Whatever fills our calendar and hearts during this season, there’s an underlying theme that runs throughout it all. A heightened longing for hope, joy, and all that is good and beautiful.
And yet, even in our best attempts and amidst the temporary joy that these experiences bring, they prove to be a mere shadow of what we truly long for. Traditions we cherished every year begin to change as children move onto adulthood. The cookies turn out beautifully, only to realize we forgot the sugar. The Christmas lights drive and family advent are filled with a complicated mix of enjoyment, good conversation, and sibling bickering. And our full calendars bring a blend of memories to be made and an added layer of stress.
It’s a season that reveals the longing of our hearts—for joy to last, longings to be fulfilled, light to cast out darkness, and all to be made right. And yet, it’s in this season of remembering the joy and hope of Christ’s birth that we are also freshly reminded that we aren’t yet home.
So how are we to walk through this month of December in a way that we (and our children) can enjoy the blessings God gives with proper expectation but also find hope in the losses and disappointments that remind us of a world yet to be redeemed?
Let the Temporary Enjoyments Point Your Eyes to the Giver of All Good Gifts
All we have to do is watch our children this time of year to know that we are all longing for something to satisfy us. And the world will always dazzle us with a cheapened version of what Jesus has already offered us. However, instead of seeing the joy of this season as entirely opposed to keeping Christ at the center of Christmas, we can help our children (and our own hearts) remember that all good gifts come from above. As we admire the Christmas lights that light up the dark sky, we can reflect on how that beauty is ultimately a reflection of how Jesus is the light of the world. The richness we experience in time with family and friends (as imperfect as it may be) is a reflection of how God created us in his image as a relational God—to know and be known. And when we revel in the joy on our children’s faces as they unwrap our gift to them, we can remind them (and our own hearts) that Jesus is the greatest giver of gifts. We enjoy lavishing on those we love because Jesus has so lavished his love upon us. These are opportunities to point out where the blessings and gifts we have ultimately come from, and that they are never meant to be an end in and of themselves. These temporary things lose their luster; the excitement and satisfaction of them fade; and they break, wear out, or get lost. They are momentary gifts to enjoy, but they will never fill the deepest longings of our hearts.
Therefore, we can thank God for the temporary blessings he generously gives, but then let the momentary nature of them point our—and our children’s—hearts to the only gift that cannot fade: eternal life that came to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Only the joy and satisfaction that comes from him will endure the test of time.
And so may we truly enjoy and thank God for every good earthly gift he provides this Christmas season, as imperfect and temporary as they may be. But may every act of kindness, every moment that enlivens our senses, and every memory we cherish lead us to a heart of gratitude for our generous God, who gave himself to fill our hearts with that which truly satisfies.
For “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
It’s in this season of remembering the joy and hope of Christ’s birth that we are also freshly reminded that we aren’t yet home.
Let the Disappointments and Losses Point Your Eyes to the Redeemer of All
And yet, while the Christmas season has a way of heightening a sense of hope and joy, it also has a way of heightening our losses as well. For some of you, this is your first Christmas without a loved one. For some, financial strain is only further-magnified. And for others, illness, relational strain, and countless other challenges seem to cast a shadow of grief and sadness over a season that once felt so full of joy.
In many ways, as painful as these losses are, they are a fresh and accurate reminder that this world is not our home. In fact, when all the frills and thrills are stripped away at this time of year, we are more clearly able to see the true enduring hope we have because of Christ’s birth. Yes, traditions may have lost their luster, gatherings may be a painful reminder of the one who isn’t with us, and tears that replace laughter are a fresh reminder of the broken, yet-to-be-fully-redeemed world we live within. But they all point our eyes homeward and heavenward.
Thankfully, God doesn’t expect us to mask the ache or numb the longing within us. He calls us to come as we are, asking for his presence and comfort to fill the void. And as he meets us there, we are reminded that among all the gifts and enjoyments of this season, the greatest one of all didn’t come wrapped in a box. The greatest, soul-satisfying, unfading gift came wrapped in swaddling clothes, bringing news of great joy that would offer hope to the hopeless, life everlasting, and redemption to a world longing to be redeemed.
Jesus loves to lavish his children with gifts, but he longs to give us far more than the ones of this earth. And he knows the greatest gift he can give us is himself and the redeeming hope of the gospel.
Friend, the disappointments, griefs, and losses casting a sorrowful shadow over your Christmas season this year don’t need to lead you to a place of hopelessness or despair. Instead, let them lead you nearer to the heart of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. He came to earth so that this weary world would not be the end of the story, but would one day be redeemed through his saving power. No matter what today or tomorrow may hold, Jesus is making all things new and is leading us to our heavenly home where pain, sorrow, and loss are no more, the light of Christ will finally cast out all darkness, and our hearts will be fully satisfied with the glorious presence of God himself. That is the good news that gives our hearts reason for joy this season, regardless of our earthly circumstances.
May this Christmas season be one where we can truly enjoy God’s gifts with grateful hearts and a right perspective, while also resting our weary, hurting hearts on the bosom of our Heavenly Father. Remember, the enjoyments of this season are a gift, yet merely a shadow of things to come. And although the sorrows we carry may cause our hearts to ache, they can also remind us of the enduring hope we have in our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
But above all, may both lead us nearer to the heart of our Heavenly Father this Christmas season.
Sarah Walton is the author of The Long Road Home: A Tale of Two Sons and a Father’s Never-Ending Love.
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