And the Christmas Gifts Keep Coming!

During these days following Christmas gift giving day, I have experienced additional Christmas gifts during this holiday season.  These are gifts that remind me of the true meaning of Christmas.

The first gift  is the beautiful green Christmas tree ornament (see above) that a friend of mine sent me recently.  We served together on a mission trip to Guatemala in 2009.  This past summer, he felt nudged by God to return to Guatemala on his own this fall to help one of the families build a much needed  home.  The ornament was something he bought for me while he was in Guatemala.

In the card, my friend wrote, "Worked hard for six days.  It was a great success!  Alroldo will soon have a new house!  I am fortunate to have the privilege to help!" - Mike

The second gift came to me today via an e-mail.  A staff member received a note from a shut-in member of our church and wanted me to know about it.  The note refers to our monthly Second Saturday outreach ministry to our community.  Here's the note:

"I had a pleasant surprise from my church on the 2nd Saturday; a delicious package at my door.  I am very thankful, all the things I can use.  It was such a blessing to me.  Really made my Christmas for life gets hard some times alone.  I am grateful for you and yours.  God bless."

The third gift came from my brother.  It was a package that arrived late (five days past Christmas.)  He kept asking me last week if I had received it and I kept saying, "No, it hasn't arrived yet."  Well, it finally came today with a big message on the package that said, "Don't open until Christmas!"  I sure hope he didn't mean next Christmas!

The package contained a family calendar with pictures from our family farm house in Pennsylvania along with several old family photos.  My brother has a gift for creating these special Christmas gifts that connect with your heart.

I got more gifts than I needed last week on Christmas morning.  But these gifts that I received this week remind me that Christmas is about a God who never stops giving.  May we continue to offer the gift of Christ's love to those around us.

Merry Christmas...again!
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