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Box Within A Box
Devotional for Tuesday, December 23, 2008 by Julie Bowles
What to do with the small gift that one has to wrap? Some of the best gifts come in small packages.Luke 2:7 - She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. (NLT)
As our boys grew up, they learned to make many crafts for others and to give them as gifts. As they got older and began to have a little money, they enjoyed buying gifts for others. One Christmas, our youngest son got something small for his brother, and not wanting it to get lost in the packages, he decided to wrap the small gift in paper, place it in a larger box, and then wrap it in paper. Being the funny guy that he is, this got him thinking. The next thing I knew, he was asking me for a larger box. By the time he was done, he had wrapped by far the largest box under our tree. When our older son began the process of unwrapping his gift, he got excited as he reached the Christmas paper, only to remove it and to find another box. This went on for quite some time, as he continued to remove each layer of paper and boxes. At length, he came to the final layer of paper and the last box. To this day, I cannot remember what the item was that he received from his brother.
What I do recall is the pile of empty boxes and paper, and two boys who had a great time. Our older son was not only pleased with his gift, but also amazed that his younger brother would take the time and put so much thought into wrapping it for him.
Our greatest gift also came in such a small package -- and He too took time to reach and touch the people He came across while on this earth. Even though He is not physically here today, He still is the greatest gift we can ever receive -- and He is available to anyone who invites Him in.
This Christmas season, let us be sure to share the greatest gift ever with someone who does not know Him. The one who receives will be blessed, and we will be blessed in return.
2 Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (NKJV)
Prayer: Dear Lord, give us a boldness this Christmas season to share who You are with people we meet who do not know You. May our focus be on You, and only You, this holiday season. May we each grow personally into a greater understanding of You in our own lives. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Julie Bowles <julieanni@rogers.com>
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
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Today's Music:
What Child Is This?.