On the Sunday before Christmas I got to attend City Light Church Penang. It was the dream. We lit candles and sang songs and did the whole Christmas Sunday thing. I loved life. But much more than that, Papa was working in my heart and thoughts.
As the pastor spoke he reminded us that Christmas really is, just like the world seems to think, about presents. It’s about the gift of the living God – Him who is called Jesus, which means “God saves”. Him who is called Immanuel – “God with us”. He shared that when someone gives you a present, it’s more than just a present. It’s an extension of friendship, an extension of love. So in gifting us His son, God extended His friendship and love and said “I’ll save you. I’m with you.”
The pastor went on to point out that when a gift is received, the response is “thank you”.
Lately (specifically the Saturday night before church), my understanding of “thank you” has deepened.
I have this sweet squadmate named Savannah. She makes me feel safer than most people in the world. She loves me sacrificially through cuddles (she doesn’t really like touch lol) and time (we’ve stayed up till 4am for the past three nights lol), and she’s a friend that’s always there and makes sure that you know it. She lets me into her heart and mind and invites me into the process. It really is a gift. I’m honoured that in all these ways she calls me friend.
Every time Sav tells me “I love you” or “you are loved”, my response to her is always “I know. Thank you. I love you!”
On Saturday night as we went to bed, faithfully she told me “you are loved, Farrah. I love you! Goodnight”. And again, I responded with “I know. Thank you. I love you!”
This time I found myself staying up to figure out why this is my natural response with her.
I realized that I say this because I really know it. She loves me so much through her actions that when she actually puts it to words, it’s already been made so clear. I accept her love. I receive it. And that makes me feel extra loved. My hope is that in receiving her love she understands how very thankful I am for her love, and that she in return feels loved.
My sweet friend Savannah and I!
The next morning at church, Christmas Sunday, the pastor continued to share about the “thank you” of receiving a gift. He said something that captured everything I’d thought of just hours before. All the things I think and feel when I say thank you to Savannah or others for loving me we’re literally summed up into two Malay words. He told us that in the Malay language “thank you” is said “terima kasih”.
Terima: “to receive”
Kasih: “love”
Thank you in Malay means I receive your love.
This is everything I mean when I say thank you!! I mean that I know without a doubt that you love me and I receive it. I mean that in receiving your love you have proved to me that your love is good and pure and safe and I am privileged to be loved by you – Thank you.
Oftentimes my “thank you”s can come across as my believing I’m not worthy of your love, but in reality when I say “thank you for loving me” I really mean “I fully receive your love because your love is good”.
In the same way I think that sometimes our “thank you”s to God, especially during the Christmas season, can come across as “I am undeserving of your love”, when in reality they should be acknowledgements of how good His love is – a “thank you for letting me enjoy this love!”
In gifting us with Jesus, Papa gave us His friendship and love in the most perfect way. He gave us freedom, joy, purpose, community. He lets us into His feelings and thoughts and happily joins us in ours. And in enjoying all of these little things that make up His perfect love for us, we have the opportunity to receive that gift and say thank you – I receive your love.
Friends, just like Sav so beautifully gifted me with her love and friendship, so has our God gifted an even more perfect love and friendship to you. All you have to do is receive it.
