His Heart, My Home

Nobody ever slept much at the Townsend house in Shreveport on Christmas Eve.

Dad knew he had toys and bicycles to assemble for us four kids after he and Mom finally chased us to bed with threats of getting the “spanking of our lives” if we didn’t get in the bed immediately.

Mom knew she had to finish cooking her cakes, pies, and famous bread pudding that night, because she would be busy Christmas Day with the turkey, dressing, ham, and all the delicious side dishes.

We tried everything to stay up a few minutes longer. Trips to the bathroom. Requests for another drink of water. “I forgot to brush my teeth.” (This was the one day of the year when dental hygiene was supremely important). “I forgot to say my prayers.” That appeal was a winner… never denied. “I think I heard something outside.” That one usually drew a response from my Dad of, “You better get in that bed NOW or you’re going to hear something…the sound of my belt across your rear end!”

Finally, with every escape route eliminated, and every excuse exhausted, we, like death row inmates awaiting execution, having received no pardon or reprieve, went to bed and laid down our heads…but not to sleep. Eyes wide open, ears tuned to every sound, we waited, imagining the bountiful blessings that were waiting for us under the tree. WE WERE JUST TOO EXCITED!

Poor Mom and Dad! We went to bed at around 11:30 p.m. They finished their chores around 1:30 a.m. and we popped out of bed like little human popcorn kernels in hot oil usually at 3:00 a.m. Our sleep time on Christmas Eve? Usually two hours or less, more like an afternoon nap than a night’s sleep. WE WERE JUST TOO EXCITED!

MOM AND DAD WERE NOT TOO EXCITED! But they soon joined us around the tree with all possibility of punishment pardoned!

In the years since, I’ve always sensed a joyous, holy excitement at Christmas! I believe everyone involved in that first Christmas, Mary and Joseph, of course, the shepherds, the wise men in their home country hundreds of miles away as they saw His star in the east… even old Simeon and Anna, awaiting the coming of Messiah… all felt an indescribable excitement and awe on that wonderful night.

The gathering of family, the Christmas tree, the candles, the carols, the gifts, the feast, all are truly wonderful.

” Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17, Passion Translation)

But one gift exceeds them all. Every earthly gift we receive from God pales in comparison to the supreme gift He gave us on that first Christmas in Bethlehem all those years ago, a Savior, forever-living, endlessly-loving, and eternally precious!

“For here is the way God loved the world—He gave His only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in Him will never perish but experience everlasting life”.
(John 3:16, Passion Translation)

The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth encouraging them to be generous to those in need. Their generosity was to be an overflow from the fulness they had received from God’s gift. Paul then reveals this powerful truth:
“Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond words. [His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]!” (2 Corinthians 9:15, Amplified)

Paul looked beyond the relief effort that was underway for the needy Christians to see the awesomeness of God’s Gift to the human race.

Other translations describe this Gift as:

(Good News) “…priceless”
(Phillips) “…indescribably generous”
(Lamsa) “…incomparable”
(CEV) “…too wonderful for words”
(TPT) “…too great for words”
(AMP) “…inexpressible…precious beyond words”
(Message) “…no language can praise it enough”

What can we say? What can we do? For some a whispered “thank you” may seem sufficient. But surely a grateful heart has more to express if we  yield it to Him, with simple child-like faith.

We have a video of our son, Jayden, taken on Christmas morning when he was 4 years old. He was so excited, and with every gift he opened, he exclaimed, “Wow! Thank y’all! This is the best gift ever!” Over and over, every gift, met with overflowing enthusiasm and gratitude. He was just totally sold out, soaking up the awesomeness of the moment. It blessed our hearts to see his unrestrained joy, and to hear his exclamations of gratitude.

My own heart can neither contain nor express the thrill, the absolute ecstasy that I experience every time I reopen that heavenly Christmas Gift in my heart! WOW! Joy to the world! The Lord has come, and He lives in me! Thank you, Father! This is the best gift ever! Now I have a world-full of joy in me!

The apostle Peter anticipates our expected  response to God’s Generous Gift of all Gifts in
1 Peter 1:8:

● Amplified Classic – “You exult and thrill with    inexpressible and glorious, triumphant, heavenly joy.”

● Passion Translation  – “You are saturated with an ecstatic joy, indescribably sublime, and immersed into glory.”

● New English Bible – ” You are transported with a joy too great for words.”

● Phillips – “He brings you a joy that words cannot express, and which has in it, a hint of the glories of heaven.”

Both apostles, Paul and Peter, use the same Greek word (anekdiegetos) which is usually translated as “unspeakable” or “inexpressible”, when describing our heavenly Gift. But a more accurate translation of this word would be “inexplicable” or “inexhaustible”.
(Abarim Theological Dictionary)

No matter how big our vocabularies, no matter how many languages we speak, no matter our liguistic eloquence, there are simply not enough words in the universe to thank, praise, and worship God for His Gift to us… His Word, made flesh, and living in us now by His Spirit!

We would exhaust all human thought, and reason, and knowledge, and wisdom, and language, before we could ever describe or explain His glory, and majesty, and holiness, and power, and might, and strength, and wisdom!

He is the King of kings! He is the Lord of lords! He is the God of gods! And He is the Gift of gifts! HALLELUJAH!

The Creator entered His creation, and offered Himself as the Savior, the Gift of eternal life, to all who will welcome Him into their hearts.

Because we have freely received this infinitely precious Gift from the Father, we are blessed to generously share Him with the world around us.

What greater joy than to “re-gift” the source of your life, your joy, and your peace to others?

Open your heart. Speak of His goodness, mercy, and love. Give the gift of eternal life to someone this Christmas!