The Receiving and Giving of Gifts

   Our grandson Nate (8) very originally expressed his Christmas wishes in the following letter to Santa:  

   “Dear Santa, For Christmas I want a lot of things but I narrowed them down to things I really want. First... is a Lego Technic bucket wheel excavator. Also, what I just said is what I realllllllyyyyyyyy want! So if you can’t decide on what to get me pick the bucket wheel excavator.

   Second, I want a puppy. Not just any puppy but a yellow Labrador! But put him in something that he can’t get out of. Third, I want my own tablet. One that already has geometry dash and pixel gun 

3d on it.

   Fourth, I want whatever kind of Nerf gun. Fifth, this might sound a little silly, but a remote control chicken! Yeay, I don’t think you would have expected that! Sixth, a book of dot to dots. Ones that have more than a thousand dots! And could they also be Christmas themed?

   I hope you liked this letter and also...Merry Christmas, Santa! from Nate”

   On Christmas morning, there was a large unwrapped box under the tree marked “To Nate, from Santa.” He was very excited even though he had already seen it earlier in the morning. He could hardly wait to open the box, the Lego Technic bucket wheel excavator set, designed for youth from 12-16 years old.

    Now Nate is only eight years old, but seemed undaunted when faced with several plastic bags containing hundreds of tiny pieces and a booklet of illustrations on how to assemble it. He thought it would take him a couple of weeks to put together the whole set. A couple of weeks? It looked pretty complicated even for a Lego genius like Nate.

   Getting back to the rest of the wish list, the puppy is due in January and will be bought home sometime in March. Nate and his little brother Elliot each received a stuffed toy puppy, with a note attached giving more details. They gave many squeals of delight and lots of hugs when they realized that they really were going to get a puppy, something they had wanted for a long time.

Between the family and Santa, most of Nate’s desires were fulfilled. But a remote control chicken? Even Santa hadn’t heard of that one!

   As the rest of the family took turns to open their presents, Nate waited in anticipation for them to see the gifts he had wrapped from his own possessions. Elliot was thrilled when he opened up the box from his brother and found a bunch of Pokemon cards, including one that was Nate’s best card.

   “You gave me your best one?” he asked incredulously. He was also delighted with the spinning gadget Nate had bought for himself with his own money, but had decided to give to Elliot.

Sweet, kind hearted Nate, the kid who offered piggy back rides around the track to some of his tired classmates when his school was raising money through a big walk/run event last fall. As Christmas approached, Nate was very excited about receiving his presents and at the same time was caught up in the spirit of giving to others.

   Most of us can probably relate to that, enjoying the surprise of receiving gifts and also enjoying surprising others by picking out special gifts for them. The gifts under the Christmas tree are great reminders of both receiving and giving, helping us reflect on the wonderful gifts God has given to us though His mercy and grace and inspiring us to give freely to others.

   

   “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:14 NIV

   “Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8b NIV