Celebrating The Only Gift That Matters
So, Christmas is just a few days away!
Ornaments abound, with dazzling lights sparkling outside the window pane, causing the eyes of onlookers to enter into a hypnotic stare...
A touch of snow gently lays its opaque glaze atop the roof as each flake fitted uniquely so releases its cloak, like the morning dew on the grass...
The aroma of hot chocolate mixed with eggnog permeates the corridors, while “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” faintly echoes in the background...
Gifts outfitted in silver wrapping paper with red ribbons, and a card attached, lay neatly underneath the tree which secretly evokes thoughts within which whisper: “I hope I get what I want for Christmas!” (Smiley Emoji w/Santa hat!)
What I'd give to be a kid again!
The memory of tossing and turning throughout Christmas Eve, anticipating what I was going to receive for Christmas, is one of the best memories I have had in my life! I would wake up, nudge my siblings to hurry with me while we dashed to the living room. Although we had just gotten out of bed, we were completely oblivious to water, washcloths, and Aquafresh! We hurried to the living room, so we can destroy what took 3 hours to wrap in 3 seconds...
And there it was - finally - the unveiling of the newest, latest, technologically advanced (you-fill-in-the-gift) I’ve ever wanted! I would tell myself, "This is what I thought about, dreamt about, and prayed about. It’s here!"
There’s only one word to describe it: Perfect.
But then my sister, eager to share in my excitement, grabbed the gift out of my hand, scratching my perfectly perfect present!
Like the Queen of Sheba, after seeing the ubiquitous splendor of King Solomon’s Kingdom, there was no spirit left in me (1 Kings 10:5 KJV)!
Don’t you wish there was some way you could stop the hands of time to capture and relive a perfect moment? I guess that’s why we have pictures. Pictures can be a snapshot of perfection. But like the toy that my sister scratched, that which seems perfect will eventually fade away.
This is why we should not fall in love with what we may get this Christmas. Whether it gets scratched, glitches, drops, breaks, becomes obsolete, gets replaced by a newer model, or eventually withers away over time -- material items do not and will not last forever. Isn’t that why we should fall in love with God The Father, and celebrate His Son Jesus’ birth? Investing our excitement, attention, expectation, and love in the Lord is investing in one of the few things that will last forever. I believe The Spirit of God is nudging us to go in that direction...
I believe that Christ is the answer to all of our disappointments this year. Amidst the masks, the mandates, the deaths, the changes, the uncertainty, let us behold…
gaze upon…
stare at…
and further inspect Jesus, all that He is, all that He encompasses, and all that He bequeaths to us (John 14:27 AMPC). For He is unchanging. He is steady. He is Our Rock in all Ages (including this age that we’re currently living in). And His beauty changes not.
May we come to discover that He is THE very definition of beauty itself (Pause: the verse says THE beauty of the Lord). And unlike natural beauty which fades over time (like what will inevitably happen to many of our Christmas gifts we will enjoy in a few days).
His beauty never fades (Hallelujah!). It has no spots or wrinkles...
His beauty actually increases every time, in every way - so much so that when we investigate Him and spend time with Him, His glory spills over onto us, and we receive His beauty for our ashes. (How amazing He is!)
So my prayer is that we enjoy this Christmas with friends and family if you’re blessed to be able to. Whether we get the gift we always wanted or whether we find ourselves on the opposite end, and we receive nothing at all, let us be reminded that His beauty is bountiful. His beauty is boundless. His beauty abounds to us. There’s nothing we can receive for Christmas that can compare to the superfluous love God gives to us freely that we don't deserve. He desires to reach you, and He desires to reach me, so He can fill our voids - not with earthly gifts, but with the gift of His Spirit.
At the end of the day, just like the psalmist William McDowell sings, we likewise sing unto HIm:
“Only You can satisfy my heart. Only You can satisfy my soul. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS.” Selah.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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Brian Chrichlow is a devoted husband, father of two beautiful daughters, and partners with his wife to lead Changing Lives Christian Center's PRE-TEEN MINISTRY. His intellect and humor positively affects everyone around him! In his spare time, he can be found fellowshipping with the men of CLCC, spending quality time with his family, or acting on stage for a CLCC holiday play!
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Next week is our last blog post OF THE YEAR -- you don't want to miss it...
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