Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

    Somewhere in my parents’ house is a rather lumpy clay ashtray. Covered in green cracked glaze and tiny fingerprints, it isn’t all that pretty, practical, or precious — except to my Mom. Why is it so precious to her? Because it was shaped by loving fingers and innocent 5-year old eyes — my fingers and my eyes. It was my gift of love. I didn’t have any money. Didn’t have much talent, either. But I did have love! So now more than 35 years later, it still sends the same message.

    2002 has been a tough year financially for many folks. Maybe it isn’t all that bad of a thing to be in a financial depression. Maybe this Christmas we will see more gifts that aren’t the most expensive or the highest quality or the most practical. Maybe the blessing of a Christmas right now is that we will see more homemade gifts — gifts that reflect more of the internal person than the external. Maybe a Christmas of homemade presents is one of the best things we could share?

Paul calls the gift “Indescribable.” Joseph called the gift “Jesus.”

    When God looked down on the earth around 6 B.C., the world was also in the midst of hard times. People had become hard and calloused. Wars were everywhere. Almost every people group on the planet was in conflict with another. In the midst of these hard times, God shaped a gift that was made of love. Paul calls the gift “Indescribable.” Joseph called the gift, “Jesus” just like the angel had instructed him.

    You may not drive the best car. You may not live in the best house. You may not have the best health. You may not have the most functional family. But if you have Jesus, you have the most precious gift ever given. And if you have been given Jesus, you can then give the best gift — the love of God. Think about it. What other gift can you receive and then immediately give it away to every other person you meet? So why not share the gift that bear the fingerprints of God’s love?

 

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© Copyright 2002, Mike Ellis, used by permission.

Title: "Fingerprints of Love"
Author: Mike Ellis
Publication Date: December 22, 2002