Hey, I Want A Gift From You This Christmas!

What we are is God's gift to us.  What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell

Several years ago my husband and I were invited to a white elephant Christmas party.  I love white elephant Christmas parties and I love white elephant gift giving.  The concept of going to a party where you exchange presents with people with the intent of disappointing them, horrifying them or at least making them laugh is divine.

Needless to say, in preparation for the gathering, I ran down to my storage room in the basement and began rooting through all my junk.  I had to find the perfect horrible gift to give to someone.  It had to be perfectly atrocious and laughable.  The first thing I found was a broken ornament in a little holiday basket.  That would be disappointing to the receiver of the gift, but not awful.  I brushed the ornament aside. 

Next, I found an old pot holder made by one of my kids.  Truth be told, it was pretty ugly, but sentimentality and the strong pull of motherly loyalty prevented me from offering this hand-made wonder as my gift.

After that, I contemplated giving away the old Monopoly board game that was missing most of its pieces and most of the fake money that had once been in the game bank.  My friends are very creative, though, and rather than being scandalized by this gift, they would probably find some way to have fun with it.  That just wouldn't do.       

Finally, behind the tub of baby clothes I'd saved from twenty years ago (don't ask me why...no one will ever use these, I know, I know!!!) I found the perfect gift.  As I pushed the Rubbermaid tub aside, the appalling gleam of the ceramic statue appeared.  Long, long ago, at a party far, far away, I had received this little gem.  I call her "the demon fairy." 

To say this little piece of artwork is eerie is an understatement.  She sits at an angle, her black eyes transfixed with a dead and unholy gaze.  Her hair is painted a garish yellow and her fairy wings are slime green.  She sits poised to make you jump if you have the unfortunate experience walking into a dimly lit room where she is. No sane person would ever decorate their house with this abominable creature.

I was thrilled.  Bingo. Game over. I wrapped my little friend in a beautiful gift bag and giggled as I dressed for the party.

So what is the point of my white elephant gift story?  Believe it or not, it is to tell you that you are a gift to the world from God.  Yes, you are a gift and YOU ARE NOT A WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT.

As a bible study leader for many years and as a female for even longer, I am saddened at how many women hate themselves.  In their minds, they are the white elephant person.  They are the worthless mistake and the lousy product of a cosmic accident.  Or, if there is a God, somehow, He does not care about them and their life situation.  It breaks my heart that many women believe that they have absolutely no purpose on this earth and that their lives are pointless.

This season, during the gift-giving frenzy of the holiday season, I want you to know that YOU are a GIFT from God to this earth.  He has uniquely blessed you with gifts and talents that only YOU with your personality and background, whether that background is good, bad, hardship-filled, abusive, perfect or just normal, can use to help others on this earth.    

God sees each of us a a gift to others.  If we embrace Jesus as our Savior, claim His death as our redemption and begin to let God's Holy Spirit work through our unique life experiences, we can glorify God as we become His hands, feet and heart to a hurting world.  God wants to use your life to help others. He wants to give purpose and meaning to your existence.  Why does He want to do this?  Because He made you for a purpose and He loves you.  Your life reflects His glory!

This Christmas, I hope you will see yourself as the gift from God to the world.  Pour out your life for others.  Give of yourself with abandon.  Unwrap the joy that God has put into you and share all that He has made you for with others.  This Christmas, I want a gift from you!  I want you!

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
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