“So what
did you get for Christmas?” is the common question once the presents are opened
and the dinner consumed. This year the
question made me stop and think because my best gifts did not come wrapped up
under the tree.
The smiles
of delight I received when I gave out the presents so generously donated by
supporters to the children in the local village schools were a wonderful
gift. The overheard comments, “Wow, what
a cute piggy!” and the sight of a little boy fiercely cuddling his toy
dinosaur, brought happiness to my heart.
I was proud
and delighted to see Juan smiling broadly, looking confident and greeting me
with a firm handshake and kiss on the cheek.
He has grown up so much in the past months, achieving excellent grades
in his final year at school and shedding the shyness he had as a diffident
teenager. I am glad he has a sponsor and
is able to finish school. The determined
glint in his eye brought me the satisfaction of a job well done.
Then there
was the little girl, who has a sponsor, who gave me a (live) chicken to thank
me for the support she has received this year.
It is always gratifying to receive a thank-you, to know your efforts are
appreciated. This thank-you was no
exception.
All these
gifts were special, unique and much appreciated. All of them inspire me to keep going for
another year in doing what I can to help the children living around me. But even these were not the best present I
received this Christmas.
At each
school I visited I took out a Christmas stocking filled with some names of
Jesus. The first we took out was
“Saviour”. The gift I most need this and
every Christmas is to have my sins forgiven.
Jesus is the perfect gift because He came to save me from my sins. The second name we took out was “Emmanuel”,
which means God with us. I also need
this gift desperately. I need to know
that no matter what lies ahead of me tomorrow, next month or next year, God is
with me.
And so I
carry that most precious gift of all with me into the New Year, with grateful
thanks.
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