The Thing I Love Most In Life

Shortly before Christmas Poppy enthusiastically, but also cautiously, walked up to me and asked me what my favorite thing in the whole world was. Without any hesitation at all I quickly answered, "The Bible". She then smiled at me with a quick, pondering grin and contemplatively walked away. I wasn't quite sure what she was up to, but her query was no doubt purposeful and deliberate. That must have been about a week or so before Christmas Day and I didn't give it much thought after that.

On Christmas morning we all sat around the Christmas tree in our living room, opening presents while cozied-up to a warm fireplace (gas logs, however). We take opening presents slow in our family, sort of a ritual tradition of allowing each person to unwrap one while everyone else focuses on the recipient. After oohing and ah-hing a bit, it's off to the next family member, and so on and so forth. The kids usually give each of us a gift (Victoria & me, that is), and from the little ones it's often something hand-crafted. They're kind of the sweetest gifts of all because they're given without any monetary expense, but no doubt at personal expense in one way, shape, form or another. While all of the older kids spent a little bit of money on me (us), each one of their gifts were also so personal, so special, and so meaningful (in fact, I'll never forget any of them). But when it came time for me to open Poppy's gift, she excitedly pulled it out from under the tree, wrapped with used, crinkly paper and a ton of scotch tape. Just looking at the wrapping job warmed my heart and I knew something special was behind that artful creation. It was heavy for its size, and I couldn't imagine what was inside. After peeling away different corners of multiple layers of tape, I finally got to the paper part and tore a whole in it so I could peer behind the layers of wrapping. I looked at Poppy and said, "What in the world have you got for Daddy?" She smiled with a twinkle in her eye and said, "You never know." Of course, you know, and now I know that it was the thing that I love the most in the world. Yes, it was an old, tattered Bible of Victoria's, one that Poppy found laying around and decided that, when she saw it, she was going to give me the thing that I love most in life. I was a little choked up inside (and so was Victoria) while I hugged Poppy and told her that I couldn't love anything more. She was so proud of herself.

While praying this morning about something I might post about next, this story came immediately to mind. I share it with you because the tenderness of little ones brings us back to the heart of giving. Poppy had nothing to give of her own, but she creatively searched high and low to find on her own the one thing that would mean the most to me. And when she discovered it she found a way to make sure she could satisfy my highest desire. And when I think about what Jesus gave to us, even when we didn't desire it but knowing full, good and well what we needed most, faith to believe in the greatest and most gracious gift of all, Himself, I'm brought to a place where I accept the gift and get all choked up. I didn't entirely know what was behind His gift either, but each day the wrapping paper gets peeled just a little further back and the magnificence of His gift is that much more visible and that much more appreciated.

May we all treasure that which we love most in life, but more importantly may we treasure that which we need most in life.

Post Christmas Reflections,