Thursday, November 24, 2011

Gifts for the Babe on his Birthday

Today we typically enter the Christmas season. We typically buy and buy and buy. Of course, most of us realize the "reason for the season." The trick is to keep this reason in front of us, often, during this hectic, frantic time of year. We allow ourselves to get overwhelmed with material matters. Choosing man-made gifts is one bad habit we have developed.

Many of us are brought back to reality by some of the holiday songs. The Little Drummer Boy is a huge favorite. The appeal is probably due to the humility of the little boy's gift.

I suppose that is what drove me to write Baby Jesus, Small and Sweet, a few years ago. I will be putting the verse into my Etsy shop tonight. It will be very low cost. For that small amount, a buyer will receive an email with a .pdf file. They can then print the verse onto card stock and insert it into a frame. This can then be displayed each year, to remind each of us of the reality of the season.

I wrote this from the bottom of my heart, one particular year. I belonged, back then, to a Christian crafter's group. We had a project that year which asked us to post our favorite seasonal quote or inspirational verse. I decided to write my own as a gift for our team.

I had no idea it would turn out as well as it did. I just turned myself loose on it. I searched my own heart and soul. The result has always been well received. I think it's because it has an appeal similar to that of The Little Drummer Boy. Folks have told me that they find a lump in their throat or a tear in their eye when they get to the last verse. I still find that, whenever I read it, even this long after I first wrote it.

What I'm trying to say is that we need to give gifts from the heart during this season. And we need to remember that the most important gift of all should be given to the person whose birth we celebrate.

My ending prayer for this post is a direct quote from my verse and reminds me of the attitude I need to keep in my heart this season:
Baby Jesus, small and sweet, I'm kneeling humbly at your feet.

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