The ultimate gift
Coming through Advent, and into Christmas, I am filled with gratitude. The tradition of gift-giving is upon us, and the most important one is the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. This weekend, we honor the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and I am in awe of having that family as our model.
I am also thankful for the time I have had with my earthly family. They came from different states to “quarantine” with us. This offered opportunities to deepen our love for one another, and our faith as individuals and as a family. I have repeatedly thanked God for the moments shared. The gratitude all came pouring out on my birthday.
My family went around the room to honor me (a tradition we do, where each person says what they love/appreciate about the birthday person). This year felt different; with the stress of Covid and not having seen our family for many months, I was overwhelmed that we were simply together. After the sharing, I unexpectedly began to cry with humility and appreciation. One of my grandchildren came up to me and said with concern, “Granny, I have never seen you cry!” I assured her that these were tears of joy, and that the release and outpouring of emotion was given by the Holy Spirit. We cannot contain the joy and gift of love!
That is how it is with Christ’s love for us-- the ultimate gift… it can’t be contained! As we deepen our relationship with Him, it spills over into our hearts, our daily lives and our relationships. Amen, Amen for such an amazing gift!
