God's Christmas Gift

As a little girl in South Texas, I can remember one Christmas I was really wanting a Barbie doll. I had dreams about this precious little toy and I felt like I would just die if I didn't get one for Christmas. I will never forget, it was Christmas Eve and my sister and I had already gone to bed, we were so excited we couldn't sleep. My sister finally did but I just kept dreaming of my Barbie doll. I knew if I didn't fall asleep perhaps Santa wouldn't stop by the house, so I tried.

I actually was pretending to be asleep just in case he came in to drop off my doll. About midnight I was awakened by a door opening, I saw a figure come into the room, it was very dark so I wasn't sure who it was. I kept wishing and hoping it was Santa, but he sure looked like my dad. My sister and I slept in the same bed, we were poor back then and our home was modest in size. We lived out at my grandpas ranch. It really was a good life, even though we were poor, we had animals and so many fun activities out on the ranch.

The next morning when we got up my sister and I were so very happy and excited, we both had Barbie dolls. Wow! How cool was that. I can remember having so much fun playing with my sister and our Barbie dolls, we were so blessed. Now that I look back I realize it was my dad who bought us those dolls. At the time he had it pretty tough, no job and the economy in those days which was 1961, was not the greatest. Jobs were hard to find and so for him to get us the dolls was a true sacrifice. I so appreciated it. He loved us so much that he did whatever it took to give us the desires of our hearts. Isn't that what Christmas is all about. So how much more does our Heavenly Father love us, and doesn't he also want to give us the desires of our heart?

Just as my father loved me, our Heavenly Father also loves us, he loves us so much that he gave his only son Jesus to die on a cross for us, to save us and give us eternal life. I don't know about you but that really is amazing. What a great gift. Since the beginning of time men and women were created to worship and love our Creator - our Heavenly Father - God. But because of temptation and sin and we wanted to be like God, we slipped from the Garden of Eden and were cast out, man to have to work for food, and women to have a painful childbirth, not to mention not having that relationship with God. This was not God's plan for us folks. He wanted us to have everything we needed and for us to live a joyful and peaceful life with him, that is where Jesus came in. He is the Reason for the Christmas Season.

So this Christmas if you do not already have a relationship with Jesus maybe this is your call to receive him. He really does love you so much, but he gave you a free will. To choose to love him or not. America has become a very hard and cold nation in so many ways because we have taken God out of our society, this is sad to me. This is not God's plan, he wants to be in the center of our lives each and every day. My prayer is that you receive God's awesome gift of salvation and that America will turn back to him, humble themselves and repent of some of the past things we have done. God is a God of love and mercy and forgiveness. We need him more than ever.

Here is a prayer you can say if you are lost for words:
"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."

If you have said that prayer, Praise God.....the Angels in heaven are singing right now! Then go to the greatest book ever written and begin reading the book of John. You will discover truths that will set you free as you begin to walk with Jesus as your Savior and begin a relationship with the Heavenly Father. Then He will take you by the hand and embrace you with his unconditional love. He promises he will never leave you nor forsake you! This is what keeps me going each and every day.

"A doctor once stepped into a taxicab and discovered an unusually friendly driver, he asked the man why he was so cheerful. "It all started," he said, "when I heard about a taxi driver who was so kind to a passenger that the man remembered him in his will, leaving him $65,000. I thought I would try it, and maybe somebody might leave me something. But after I tried it, I found it was so much fun being good that I decided I would do it for the fun of it, reward or no reward."

The world would certainly be a more cheerful place if we all had such good dispositions. Imagine walking down the street and seeing nothing but smiling faces.

Life is not a bed of roses, and most people are too happy to let you know that. That's what we tell ourselves when we want to appease our guilt on those dark and dreary days. I'm not the only one who's had a bad day, we think. People are just going to have to understand.

Maybe they do, but how does Jesus feel about it? Kindness should flow out of the life of a Christian. The world has an excuse to be angry, but we don't. Redeemed people should act like they're happy to be redeemed.

This is what separates believers from those who haven't discovered the goodness of Christ. We have a reason to rejoice. We have a standard to uphold. We have a Savior to pattern our life after.

So this Christmas rejoice in the fact we are saved by God's amazing grace, through his son Jesus Christ. Rejoice in the fact our eternal destiny is secure, that we are blessed with family, friends and the love of God.

May you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and a very Blessed New Year!!!!!!!!