A GIFT FOR JESUS

I think most of you would agree with this statement: Christmas is a special time and children can be delightfully honest.

So what happens when you blend those factors together? You will likely end up with a combination that is both humorous as well as inspiring.

Christmas and children just seem to go hand in hand. It is hard to separate the two during this wonderful season. That thought was the catalyst for a Christmas blog post idea I had which I am about to share with you.

This year I asked a number of moms, dads, and grandparents, to pose this question to their children ages three years to 12 years of age.

“If you could give Baby Jesus one gift this Christmas, what would you give him and why?’ 

Their answers did not disappoint and brought me much joy as I read each one. I think they will make your heart smile too. So without further delay here are the answers, in their own unedited words,  from the hearts of some precious little people in no particular order.

Camdon 7 years: I would give Jesus a snow globe like the one we have, with lots of lights on it so Jesus can always see the lights.

Lincoln 5 years: I would give him a heart made out of paper because we love him. This shows him our love.

Adi 3 years: I would give Jesus a heart because I love Jesus.

Kali 5 years: I would give Jesus flowers because he is the greatest gift of all. God loves him and so do I. And because God made us to live forever because Jesus died on the cross. That’s why I love him!

A.J. 7 years: I would give Jesus a dog of his own so he would protect him and have a good life with the dog and play with him. It might also save people.

Xan 11 years: I would give Jesus bread because it is very handy to have and you can save money instead of having to buy food.

Jadon 6 years: I would give him gold because Jesus is the coolest man ever!

Abigail 7 years: I would probably give Jesus some Frankincense because it smells really good.

Ava 4 years: I would give him a baby because Jesus loves babies and he wants them.

Jonah 6 years: I would give Jesus a whole box of Legos because I love Legos and it is the top present I want to give him!

Sylvia 3 years: I would give Jesus my favorite baby tiger named Patches and I would miss him every day.

Jadon 9 years: I would give him diamonds because they are sparkly like Jesus.

Judah 6 years: I would give him a heart because Jesus loves everyone with his heart.

Sidney 4 years: I would give Jesus hope because I love him.

Joseph 5 years: I would give him a teddy bear to cuddle with and give him comfort.

Sedonia 5 years: I would give Jesus a unicorn stuffed animal because they are like the fancy white horses from the Bible.

Ian 7 years: I would give Jesus lots of different oils to use. His mom could put them on him and he would probably not get sick in the cold weather. And his mom and dad could use them too so they would all stay healthy!

Lucy 6 years: I would give Jesus a hug because I love him.

Rachel 10 years: I would give him a puppy because everyone deserves a dog.

Cora 8 years: I would give Jesus my love because he died for us on the cross for our sins.

Eden 9 years: I would give him a big hug because I love him.

Cameron 12 years: I would give him praise because he is so amazing. He created us and loves us.

So there you have it. From the mouth of babes! Words to melt any heart.

Now just for a minute or two would you look with me at another child from the New Testament? Her name was Mary. She was probably between thirteen to fifteen years of age. By our standards today, Mary would still be considered a child in many ways. According to the customs we read about in the Bible, she was old enough to be considered a woman and to be given in marriage. Verses 26 to 38 in the first chapter of Luke, introduce us to this girl.

We are not told what Mary was doing on this particular day but we are told she was engaged to a man named Joseph. I would imagine Mary was happily carrying out her daily chores but as she did so, I believe she was daydreaming of her future wedding and of the secure life she would have as Joseph’s wife. Then suddenly the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she has found favor with God, not to fear, that she has been chosen to carry and deliver the Son of God and name him Jesus. All this within a matter of a few verses! Talk about a loaded announcement!

Naturally, Mary is perplexed at all this and even asks the angel how this can happen because she is a virgin. The angel simply reassures her that these things will transpire through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ok, whoa. Put on the brakes! We need to park ourselves right here for a minute! Let’s pause and truly let this scenario register in our minds. If we had been in Mary’s shoes at the moment, am I the only one who would have had all kinds of doubts and countless more questions? I mean every dream that Mary had for her well-planned future was probably fading before her eyes very quickly! Yet in spite of this monumental life-changing moment, what is Mary’s final reply to the angel? Read these words and allow them to seep deep into your spirit.

“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” ~Luke 1:38 NKJV

Other translations of this passage use the name handmaiden, servant or bondslave in place of ‘maidservant.’  The bottom line is this. At that moment, Mary gave up HER WILL for God’s WILL!

Did she have all the answers? No!

Did this request from heaven make sense? No!

Did Mary fully understand just how much her ‘yes’ would affect the rest of her life? No!

Yet in spite of these things, Mary, merely a child herself, willingly agreed to carry THE child that would impact history and eternity forever! Amazing faith. Astounding obedience.

So now I present these questions to you, my friends.

What are you willing to give Jesus this Christmas?

Like the children who were questioned for this blog post, what is dear and precious to you that you are willing to surrender to the King?

Are you willing to follow Mary’s example by saying “Yes Lord! I am your servant. Do what you want in my life. I do not see the full picture but I give up my will and accept your will in my life.”

Friends, I challenge you to reflect on this once again. May the Holy Spirit give each of us the eyes and heart of a child and may we receive a fresh revelation of the miraculous Christmas story!

Have a blessed and very “Mary” Christmas my friends.

PS: Thoughts? Insight? I would love to hear what spoke to your heart the most from this post. Leave a comment. I always love hearing from my readers!

 

Note: This blog post was written by Rosie Williams and first appeared on Nuggets from the Heart. This blog post, either in part or in its entirety, may not be copied, duplicated, edited or appear in any other publication without the written approval or permission from the author. For full copyright and disclosure information, click here. For questions regarding the use of this blog post, you may send an email to Rosie Williams by clicking here.