Christmas Present of the Year
When I was 15, a little preaching was still the norm in schools. A preacher came to our school and said that the greatest Christmas present was Jesus himself. He encouraged us to unwrap the gift from God. I thought it was a novel idea, but didn't respond to his encouragement that year. A further 7 years went by before I tore off the Christmas wrapping paper, and the contents - the Saviour, Jesus Christ became MY personal gift from God. Ever since that Christmas, I have studied, meditated on, examined, experienced, tasted and rejoiced over this great gift! Several decades have passed and I have discovered to an ever-increasing degree how precious, how wide, high, deep and long this generous gift is. There are continually new facets to encounter! It's like the pearl in the parable told by Jesus, that the merchant sold everything in order to purchase, since it was such a valuable treasure! Also for me, this gift of Jesus Christ is more precious that anything else in life, and