Sunday, December 9, 2012

{gifts of the season} in which the gift was there, I just had to slow down to see it...

There are things in life, moments that pass us by so quickly, we sometimes recognize the gift. We fail to see the beauty in the seemingly smallness of every day life. The gift in the ordinary.

You see, the ordinary in my day, between the four walls of my home, is the name Jesus. We talk about Him. We talk to Him.

And yet, I still neglect to slow down long enough to soak in the gift of the most precious and loving and gorgeous Name of all.

Jesus.

A gift that has been here all along. But one that I all too easily put on the shelf and forget to glance at from time to time. A gift that I take for granted. Because i am selfishly anticipating the next present. The next undeserved gift.

At 18-months old, my sweet girl adores the gift of Jesus.

We were given a hand-carved wooden nativity set. It was on its way to the trash pile to be discarded because some of the pieces were missing. My husband's aunt would not have it. She rescued the figurines from wasteland and blessed us {Harper} with it. Upon seeing the gorgeous figures, Harper plucked Baby Jesus from the manger, called Him by name, and cradled Him to her cheek.

{Yes, this mama wanted to cry. I didn't, as shocking as that is.}

Gigi and Papa, my parents, started a nativity set for Harper last Christmas. Each year, she will receive a new piece to the set until it is complete. Last year, she received Baby Jesus. As I was decorating for Christmas this year, I placed Baby Jesus beneath the lamp on her dresser. She points to Him and calls Him by name in the mornings as we get ready for school.

Jesus.

A name spoken out loud in my home. A name that falls from our lips out of love that overflows from our hearts. A name that saved me from myself. A gift that was given to us all those years ago in a filthy barn. A gift that was sent to free us from sin and give us eternal life.

A gift that we don't just unwrap and recognize at Christmas and then place on a shelf until the next year. But a gift meant to live with us and in us every moment of every day.

My daughter knows Jesus' name. I pray everyday she will grow to know Him and who He is in her life. I pray she grows bold to what He has called her to. I pray she turns to Him to fill the void in her life.

This weekend, it took her sweet voice singing to Him to still my heart and allow me to relish in the glory of the gift given to me. And her. And you.

May you find His name written in your heart and falling from your lips today. May you unwrap the beauty and splendor of Jesus each day. May we recognize the Glory amongst the commonplace. May we not place Him on a shelf until next Christmas, but may we enjoy the gift of Jesus in all of our moments. And may His be a name you call in everything you do.







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