The Greatest Gift

I can assure you that I am moving along at a fairly acceptable pace on my second book. At last count, I think I was at approximately 73,000 words and probably about eight chapters away from finishing the story, but today, I wanted to take a break from my writing-venture ramblings and focus, for a moment, on something of far more importance. Because we’re bombarded by so many distractions, I wanted the center of my focus to be on the greatest aspect of this holiday season. This is the time of year that many of us come together to celebrate Christmas, and for those of us who are Christians, the primary focus of our celebration is on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thus, He is the reason for the Season and not just this season but every season of our lives. Even as Christians, we often times find ourselves, myself included, caught up in the material aspects of it all – worrying  about the appearance of all the decorations we’re setting out, the various holiday light displays we’re wanting to drive by, the meals we’re planning to prepare, the gifts we’re still needing to buy, and the travel plans we’re mapping out. And in all our haste and excitement, we forget that the greatest Gift is not somewhere in a store waiting to be discovered, tucked away in a hidden place saved for the perfect moment, hanging in a stocking, or even lying underneath a tree. The greatest Gift has already been given and is the only gift that is totally free yet completely priceless. Let us pause for a moment, take time from our busy schedules, and reflect on that Gift – the gift of God becoming flesh born of a virgin, bearing the sins of the world when He shed His sinless blood on the cross at Calvary, and rising victorious from the grave so He could offer eternal life freely to all who would believe. His gift of eternal life IS the greatest Gift that was ever given, the greatest Gift that can ever be received, and the greatest Gift we can ever share. As we gather for various Christmas festivities with family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors, may we remember to share His message of love, light, and hope. I wish a Merry CHRISTmas to all as we celebrate the Savior’s birth. May your celebrations be centered on Him and filled with joy and love because He is the reason for any and all of our celebrations now and always.