Christmas Lists from Christmases Past:
Easy bake oven
Noel- My real live Christmas bunny
Molly the American Girl Doll
8 seasons of The Cosby Show on DVD (I remember this gift like it was only a few years ago, wait, nevermind)
Anything resembling a dolphin (calendars, trinkets, t-shirts, towels, underwear, etc.)
Eeyore/Winnie the Pooh sweatshirts (FYI, Eeyore autocorrects to Eyesore- fitting I would say)
I’ll stop on that note. I don’t want to make anyone jealous of my childhood (29 is still considered childhood, right?) Christmas presents. I always loved shopping for the perfect gift for my friends and family; shirts to make my brother look “cooler” (says the girl in the Eeyore sweatshirt and Lexington Wildcat turtleneck), a random CD I would NEVER listen to for my sister (Lord help us all if Ghost Town DJ’s ever make a come back from My Boo), something electronic for my dad (that he usually had to put together himself- after putting together all of our new gadgets), and maybe a gift certificate for my mom to get her nails done (no “quickel gel” please) by her Vietnamese “friend” (she’s friends with Pittbull, too, ya know?).
I struggled when it came time to wrap these carefully thought out gifts. I always came up short on one side, or accidently stuck the tape down too soon on the wrapping paper and ripped the candy right off the cane, always conveniently in the middle of top side of the box. By the end of the whole ordeal, the present looked more like it had traveled in the back of a UPS truck from Timbuktu (or Cambodia, maybe?) rather than down the 20 some stairs from my room to the living room. Nevertheless, every year I continued to search for the appropriately sized box and the perfect wrapping paper (by perfect I mean whatever was on sale) and placed my abnormally wrapped presents under the tree. I’m convinced my mom moonlighted at Belk’s during the holiday’s as a professional gift wrapper because her wrapping was always picture perfect.
One gift that would NEVER have shown up on my Christmas list was a Jack in the Box. What a stupid a toy. They’re too predictable. Jack…in a box. Where’s the fun and mystery in that? You spin the handle and wait in suspense (not really) until…SURPRISE…Jack pops out of the box? Lame. I don’t want to know what is in the boxes with my name on the tag. Actually, I prefer things that can’t even be contained by the box that would fit conveniently under the Christmas tree. You know, the presents that come after all others have been unwrapped and your dad says, “Ok, we have one more, but we have to go outside to see it.”
After a month of scheduled quiet time, prayer time, team time, shower time, sleep time, FaceTime, one on one time, meeting time, and a few ‘come to Jesus’ times I began to realize that I’ve been trying to fit my relationship with Jesus into one of those awkwardly wrapped boxes, patiently waiting for 4am Christmas morning. I have been expecting Jesus to act a lot like Jack; turn the handle four times and out He pops- with visions, answered prayers, healings, spiritual gifts, etc.
Well, Jesus is Jesus…not Jack. He doesn’t operate under our conditions. He doesn’t jump when we say jump. He cannot, will not, and should not be contained. He is much too great and much too glorious for us to even attempt to box Him in with our inadequate vocabulary. His plans for The Kingdom, and for our lives, reach far beyond the most creative corners of our imaginations. His power and might is far fiercer than we would ever be brave enough to acknowledge.
The idea of releasing Jesus from our proverbial boxes is intimidating. It forces us into the realm of the unknown where we often allow fear, anxiety, control, and worry to consume us. But He is trustworthy. He is faithful. He is love. Love drives out fear.
Open the lid. Throw your boxes away.
Live life in awe of Him; the greatest gift you will ever receive.
