Small packages

I work with some amazing people. The folks with whom I spend weekdays are good with numbers; that's pretty much a given since we work in accounting! But my coworkers are also gifted with incredible talents. A couple of them possess amazing knitting skills. Another cooks, bakes and cans fantastic edible delights. Still another etches glass. Our colleague, Kevin, creates stained glass wonders.

Last week, Kevin brought in some of his stained glass creations. The pieces he brought will be Christmas gifts for his family and friends. Each piece is unique. Kevin painstakingly designs each one for its intended recipient. His masterpieces are gorgeous! As he unpacked each item, we oohed. We aahed. I drooled with envy. I even dropped hints at how "special" we, his coworkers were, especially with Christmas approaching!

And then yesterday, an entirely unexpected event occurred.

Here's how it unfolded.

I'm the first to arrive at the office each morning, and as I unlocked the door yesterday, I noticed a spread of gifts. Eight gifts. Eight presents, beautifully wrapped in shiny paper and bedecked with perfectly shaped bows. Upon inspecting the tags, the Sherlock Holmes in me deduced that the handwriting was Kevin's.

I did a happy dance right then and there.

One by one, as my fellow coworkers arrived, I shared my discovery. With great anticipation, we waited for an announcement. Sure enough, mid morning, Kevin came out of his office. I squealed with delight. I jumped up and down like a little child. And then he assembled us for an unwrapping event, complete with game, poems and clues. Numbers drawn, we opened our gifts.

A snowman. A snowflake. A star. Santa. Christmas tree. Poinsettia. Candy cane. Snow-covered pine.


With joy we shared in the celebration of a shared gift. It was a great day!

As we eagerly await Christmas in the coming week, the events of my work week reminded me to:

• Discover God's gift that awaits me
• Share the news of this great gift 
• Anticipate the gift of Jesus with joy and delight
• Realize this precious gift is given specifically for me
• Celebrate this generous gift with family and friends

2 Corinthians 8:9 (The Message):

"You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us - in one stroke he became poor and we became rich."

Matthew 20:28:

"the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

And the well-know Isaiah 9:6-7:

"For a child has been born - for us!
 the gift of a son - for us!
He'll take over
 the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
 Strong God,
Eternal Father,
 Prince of Wholeness
His ruling authority will grow,
 and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He'll rule from the historic David's throne
 over that promised kingdom.
He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing
 and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
 beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this."

Merry Christmas, dear friends. Merry Christmas. May the Peace of Christ be with you. Now and always.

Holes

I had a meeting across campus Wednesday morning. Meetings are rarely on my agenda, but when they are, I usually enjoy the walk to and from the various campus locations. Not so on Wednesday. On the way back to my office, the blustery weather was miserable. The wind roared and the December air delivered the promise of bone chilling cold. As I hurried across the parking lot toward my building, I noticed a pair of colleagues from our Physical Plant grounds crew. They had just pulled out a group perennials from a planting area and were using a power tool to dig holes. In those holes they were placing bulbs. Bulbs that will spring forth with new life in a few short months.

On the brink of this winter season, spring and warm weather were the farthest things from my mind. Instead, the guarantee of a long, dreary winter consumed my thoughts. And yet here, in front of me, was a sign of spring. Of new life. Of hope.

Isn't it easy to be that way with life too? To be consumed with the dreary heaviness of our current situation? Sickness. Disease. Loss. Financial hardship. It's extremely easy to stay in the muck and mire of life's crud. We only focus on the roaring wind of adversity. Heartache and hardships are very real, but redirecting our gaze changes the bleak, winter landscape to one of vibrant, lush greenery.  Right in front of us, hidden in the holes of life, lies the hope that comes from living with a simple trust in Jesus.

One of the most precious verses in the Bible comes from Romans 15:13 -

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."