How The Snowman Stole Christmas - A Christmas Devotion

Most of you know I’m kind of Christmas challenged.

So I decided it was time to talk to God about this.

God, why do I always turn into The Grinch this time of year?  

Why do I always want to avoid giving gifts? I know I’m cheap but there’s got to be more to it than that.

Why do I always want to go on vacation and come back after New Years?

Suddenly, it all came back to me…

How the Snowman stole my Christmas spirit.

Years ago, I was coordinating Mexico mission trips for my church. What were they thinking? I know! I must have really hidden my cray-cray tendencies. It was definitely a humbling and growing experience. Anyways, this particular year, I wanted to do a craft with the children. I’m not a crafter so I selected something from the “Crafting for Dummies” guidebook. Miracle of miracles, the snowman was a hit! None of the snowman looked like the picture above, but there was such genuine joy and gratitude that went into each one that you would have thought we’d given the children a priceless treasure. We even ran out of socks until the church volunteers started taking off their own socks so no child would go without. The children didn't complain about the stinky socks. They were just grateful to receive one. Amazing! We topped off the day serving lunch, playing soccer, a piñata, and finally handing out a wrapped present for each child. It was probably the best trip ever!

Overcome with good cheer and joy, I wanted to pass on this feeling to my family. So for Christmas, I decided to gift them each a snowman. Well, “A Relative Who Shall Remain Nameless” took one look at the thing and started throwing it across the room like a football. The entire family got in on the joke and started laughing. As I watched in embarrassment and indignation my snowman flying across the room, I declared loudly, “I will NEVER craft again!”

I know that this relative was just joking around. He only saw the value of worthless sock stuffed with cotton. In retrospect, I realized that what I was hoping to share was not a cute snowman, but the Spirit of Christmas I had experienced on that mission trip. My hurt and disappointment resulted not from their rejection of a sock snowman, but in their rejection of the Spirit in which the snowman was offered.

I think that’s why I stress so much when it comes to this time of year. I’ll rack my brain trying to come up with a perfect gift that will somehow share the True Spirit of Christmas when really The Perfect Gift has already been given. God has given The Perfect Gift – His Son Jesus. I can’t force the “Christmas Spirit” onto people. And just like I can’t give the perfect gift, I can’t accept it on their behalf either. God’s Gift is uniquely, lovingly packaged, and delivered to each person individually. It has to be a private exchange between God and the individual. Each person has free will to accept the gift or throw God’s precious gift away. So my prayer is may we never forget the value of The Gift and may we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God the Father has given each of us the best Christmas Gift of all.

For a Child has been born - for us!
The gift of a Son - for us!
The government will be upon His shoulders.

And He will be called:

Wonderful Counselor,

 Mighty God,

 Everlasting Father,

 Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end.
For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only Son,

 that who ever believes in him

should not perish but have eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death,

but the FREE GIFT of God

 is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But to all who received and accepted

HIM

He gave the right to become children of God.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Yolanda

Isaiah 9:6 (MSG, NLT), John 3:16 (ESV), Romans 6:23 (ESV), John 1:12 (NLT)