What I Want for Christmas
When I was a little kid, our family received the Sears & Roebuck “Wishbook.” I can remember seeing things that made my imagination go wild. The most memorable was a backpack with a helicopter blade. Looking back at that now, I cannot imagine that they actually sold it, so I have questioned whether I had actually seen it or dreamed it! But with that info, I had many dreams of flight during those days.
Time has a way of changing what you wish for, partly because you start realizing that your NEEDS are very different from wants. So this Christmas, what I want is. . .
- To see more patience between people who disagree.
- To see one of our little children finally get well and leave the hospital.
- To finish our worship pastor search and bring someone onto our team that will bless our church and allow us to bless them.
- To see many people recognize ways they can use their gifts to impact our community.
- To get a report of more people who have never had access to the Gospel who finally heard of Jesus and chose to follow Him.
- To bless my children and grandchildren in an unmistakable, deeply significant way.
These are just a few of the things that matter deeply to me. These are things that last, that impact life. And they’re the things that will create blessings elsewhere. It is the kind of gift that keeps on giving. I’ll delight to see my grandkids’ wonder; I’ll enjoy the lights of the neighborhoods; I’ll enjoy the festive parties and foods that punctuate our celebrations. But on Christmas morning, when I navigate through the darkness of my home and pad my way to my study with coffee in hand, in the deep silence that punctuates the early hour, I’ll be thinking of these other gifts as the ones that will be eternal. Those would be the greatest gifts I could desire.
