December 24
Scripture: Luke 6:38
Source author: Steven Thompson
December 24
Finishing My Christmas List Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. —Luke 6:38
I awoke Christmas Eve, pleased my shopping was done. Still, I hadn’t asked Jesus what He wanted for His birthday. I felt I could offer Him little as I issued a quick prayer asking what was on His birthday list. Instantly I was struck by a surprising request. “Go visit Bernice.” Bernice had been a friend of my deceased parents, and years before I had attended church with her. Recently I had heard she’d been placed in a nearby nursing home. I gathered some small gifts, and as evening approached, I anxiously headed toward the care facility. I hadn’t seen Bernice in years and wondered if age had stolen her mental faculties. I found Bernice sitting on the side of her bed. She instantly recognized me. After I presented the gifts, she asked if I would stay. Our visit lasted a couple of hours as we laughed and recalled memories. I headed home that dark, crisp Christmas Eve, recognizing that Jesus’s birthday list had blessed Bernice and me as much as it had blessed Him.
God’s gift lists often contain blessings for us. — Steven Thompson —