“For unto us a child is born; unto us a son
is given.” Isaiah 9:6
We have a problem with the presents.
Knowing my husband likes to read, I ordered him some
books. Knowing I like to read, he
ordered me a few too. Packages are
arriving daily, but since we used the same account, neither of us knows whose
they are. If I open them to see, my
surprise might be spoiled, and the same holds true for him.
The situation is being solved by having one of our daughters
open each box and read the heading. If
it’s a book I bought for him, I recognize the name. If I’ve never heard of it before, I know he
bought it for me, and hearing only the title doesn’t give away the topic. (For example, a few years ago he gave me The Zookeeper’s Wife, which was about hiding
and helping Jews in Nazi Poland, and The
Greatest Game Ever Played, which told of a golf match and not a football
rivalry!)
The system has worked so far, and since only three days and
even fewer packages remain to arrive, hopefully it will hold true for the
duration. However, in the spirit of
holiday honesty I must admit that knowing the names has piqued my curiosity and
caused me to be even more excited for Thursday morning when I can see what
subjects he chose this time around.
The first Christmas wasn’t quite so complicated. The One who gave the Gift left little doubt about
its recipients—the label listed us
all. “For
unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given”(Isaiah 9:6). When the good news of grace arrived, no one had
to guess who the gift was for. The
answer is always you.
And though the present came wrapped differently than most expected,
the package arrived just as had been predicted. “A virgin will conceive and
give birth to a son”(Is 7:14). “But you,
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of
Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel”(Micah
5:2,4). No one needed to wonder who this
baby would be and what He would do for the title gave away the content. “And
his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there
will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing
and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and
forever”(Is 9:6-7).
The few words I know about my gifts don’t tell me much,
but what we know about God’s says everything. “You shall give him
the name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”(Matt 1:21).
Can’t wait for the mail to come today!
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