[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Monday, December 17 2012

[Paul]

Hello and good morning, afternoon or evening wherever you happen to reside.  Had some trouble with my computer earlier this evening, but hopefully, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that everything hopefully is fixed.  I pray that everything is doing well with you.

Cathy Mogus, a writer living in Canada, wrote an article entitled "Who Gets the Big Gift," rendered as follows:

When our adult son Chris declared that he was moving out on his own, we bought him a microwave for Christmas.  Although a small one, it was a challenge to wrap and barely fit beneath our tree.

Our daughter and her family arrived on Christmas Eve.  Aydrian, our oldest grandchild, age five, stared intently at the presents under the tree.  "Who is that one for?" she asked, pointing to the biggest gift.

"You'll find out tomorrow," I told her.

That evening when I tucked her in bed, Aydrian prayed: "Dear Jesus, bless Daddy, Mommy, Breyann, Justyn, Grandma, Papa and please tell me who that big present under the tree is for!"

There's something intriguing about the "big gift," isn't there? Even though we know wonderful things often come in small packages, the larger ones stir our imagination.  Maybe it's because we are programmed to think big is better.

But big is not always best.  Just recently my husband and I attended a party with good friends.  One table was stacked with wrapped door prizes, and we all had our eyes on a large red and gold box.  We expressed exaggerated disappointment when none of us won it--until we learned it was a month's supply of toilet paper!

Sometimes the largest gift _is best.  When my sister Carolyn was about six, she received a huge Christmas gift from her maternal grandparents.  Her first reaction was to cry.

She knew our grandpa liked to joke and play tricks.  She also knew and sometimes received huge gifts only to discover that in big box was a smaller box--and then a smaller box.  She was sure Grandpa's gift was a piece of gum or candy, and all the relatives would laugh at her.

My sister was surprised--and delighted--when she unwrapped a beautiful miniature piano that Grandpa had made with his own hands! It had a little bench and played _real music.

The Bible tells us God has an abundance of gifts for His children.  The gift of life.  Earth's bounty and beauty.  Family.  Friends,  Meaningful work.  Rest. Love, joy, peace.

But it clearly points out that His biggest and best presents are a relationship with Jesus and life with Him forever.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

And there you have it for today.  I recently wrote an article for the quarterly magazine "Espero Kristana" (Christian Hope) entitled in Esperanto "Neashetablaj Trezoroj" (Treasures That Money Can't Buy), in which I made mention that, in addition to having Jesus as my Friend besides Him being my Lord and Savior, that I have many friends, online and offline, that I treasure as well.

And this will do it for today.  In the meantime may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout this night or day and especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul