Gifts: What We Got For Christmas
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Gen. 3:15
By: Carol McClain @carol_mcclain
Most important thing about Christmas? What we got.
Christmas presents are a lot like us–wrapped up bright and shiny. Beautiful bows and trinkets adorn the packages. They glitter under the Christmas tree.
Then we unwrap them and find a Christmas sweater two sizes too big, a waxy candle shaped like a Santa or a glow- in-the-dark toilet seat. We’ve all gotten the white elephant disguised as a pretty gift.
And that’s pretty much a metaphor for us. Or at least me.
I can wrap myself up with Christian words. I smile and agree to wash dishes after the church dinner. I volunteer my time to work on the Board of Habitat for Humanity. However, inside, something’s broken.
For most of my life, I’ve struggled with the white elephant stomping my soul–even during my years as a Christian. Something in my life made me believe I still had to earn God’s favor. Maybe it was my Catholic faith that taught me no sin could ever be erased and thus we spend time in Purgatory. Maybe it was a dysfunctional childhood and my unwillingness to talk to others and discover the world didn’t function much better. Or my mistaken concept of humility–put yourself down whenever complimented?
From the very beginning of time, God prepared His Christmas gift. Last week, I said Psalm 103 should be part of the Christmas cannon. This week, it’s Genesis 3:15
God’s Gifts to Us:
- We are redeemed.
- We are forgiven.
- We do not have to do anything to earn it except unwrap the gift and claim it as our own.
If we accept this gift, guilt, suffering, condemnation–all the things humankind struggles with–will be healed.
I guarantee it.
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Author Carol McClain
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