Our extended family gathered around the Christmas tree with a great deal of excitement. All of the aunts, uncles and cousins were there. It was finally time to open the gifts. The children were especially excited because there seemed to be more gifts than ever under the tree. That year it had been decided that it would be better for each child to have one nice gift than several inexpensive ones, so we had drawn names. Each person was to buy a nice gift for one other person.

As each person received a gift he or she opened it with anticipation. Everyone was happy except Jenny, my five-year-old daughter. She didn't receive a gift. After all of the gifts under the tree had been passed out, Jenny still didn't have one. I suddenly lost interest in my gift. Someone had mistreated my daughter!!! My emotions instantly shifted from great joy to intense anger. "Who had mistreated my daughter?" A happy event quickly turned to an angry one.

If we parents get so emotional over relatively minor injustices done to our children, how can we comprehend what it meant for God to willingly send his only son to Earth to die for our sins?

On this Christmas day, we ought to demonstrate our appreciation for God's love to us.

1 John 4:10, 11 (NIV)
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Today would be a great day to share a meal, a gift, or a kind word with someone who needs to know that God loves them.

Dave McClung
Washington