Who in the world would wait until Christmas Eve to do their Christmas shopping? I find it hard to believe the statistics that show December 24th is one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
I usually have my Christmas list complete by Thanksgiving to avoid the crowds, and that was before social distancing. But a few years ago, I decided to venture out on Christmas Eve and see if the stats were right. Yep. They were. I was elbow to elbow with anxious shoppers, even though I didn’t feel the same angst that seemed etched on their faces.
I traveled to my favorite department stores and picked through a few stocking stuffers. Low and behold, I saw three of my in-laws scrambling for gifts. I picked up a few items and went to stand in the check-out line about sixteen people deep.
Maybe this was the “season to be jolly” but the people in line at 2:00 pm on Christmas Eve were anything but cheerful. Amazingly, they were talking to each other. Strangers who normally would never speak to each other in a checkout line were chatting away about Christmas plans, families gatherings, special purchases, and where to find great last-minute bargains. I actually was enjoying listening to the friendly banter. It seemed the shoppers were bonding because of a common cause – get the shopping finished today!
The young lady in front of me was laden down with five large rolls of very expensive wrapping paper. She turned to me and said, “I can’t believe I’m spending over $25.00 on wrapping paper. It seems like such a waste for something that’s going to be torn off and thrown in the trash tomorrow. But at least I won’t have to get back in that traffic and go to another store.”
I didn’t bother telling her about the paper I saw on sale for one-fifth the price she was about to pay. By the look on her face, the $20.00 savings wouldn’t have been worth the trip. Instead, I said, “Oh it is expensive, isn’t it? But it will look lovely under your tree.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I think it’s pretty too.”
Musing over the idea of wrapping paper took me back to the origin of the gift-giving tradition. We give gifts at Christmas because the wise men gave gifts to baby Jesus. But were they wrapped? I don’t think so. I didn’t even remember wrapping being mentioned in the Christmas story at all. Then the words of Luke 2 floated through my mind like a song: “And you shall find the babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.”
Ah, the first Christmas gift was wrapped after all.
As I watched the young lady dash to her car with her shiny gold paper I thought, “Maybe that expensive paper isn’t such a waste after all.”
As you look at the beautifully wrapped gifts under your tree this year, remember that the most important gift of all – the One that was wrapped just for you – is the Christ Child Himself. Click & Tweet!
Dear Jesus, My heart is full today just thinking about that first Christmas Day. Thank You for humbling yourself and taking on the form of man. Thank You for leaving Your throne to walk the dusty roads of earth. I am wrapped in gratitude pondering Your amazing gift. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Merry Christmas from our house to yours!
Comments 69
Thank you Sharon for all the articles.They are full of encouragement and God’s wisdom. Each time I read them, I am built up. Thanks again for the amazing work you do. God bless you 🙌 🌷 Happy Christmas to you and your family
I agree 1000%. You give such great uplifting advice & are so humble in your messages. I love reading your messages and look forward to each & every one!
Thank you for all you do to bring hope to a lost world and love to every reader.
Merry Christmas 🎄 ❤️🎄
Merry Christmas Sharon!!♥️🎄♥️
What a beautiful reminder of the most precious gift of all. Thank you.
Thank you Sharon! This was a great visual story and I am going to share this with my kids and grandchildren. Merry Christmas!
Many happy returns… Merry Christmas to your family
Merry Christmas! I have always wanted to see your husband, what a beautiful couple
Beautiful message, very touching for this week. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Love this post! The first Christmas gift! Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas to You and your family. What a Great reminder thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas!
Thank you for your posts do videos through the year
Merry Christmas 🌟🎄
Merry Christmas and thank you for always having a timely word for us!
Beautiful
Thank you for those wonderful words. This has been a rough couple of weeks. My husband has a potentially very scary diagnosis (we’re waiting for a biopsy to be scheduled) and I may be looking at foot surgery. Plus, because of COVID, this is the first time ever we won’t be with our kids and grandkids for Christmas. I needed to hear your words. I hope you and yours have a blessed holiday.
I will be praying for you.
Claire, praying God brings you peace and comfort during this difficult season.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas Sharon to you and your family! You are such a beautiful inspiration and gift of the Spirit. Thank you for your faithful intuitive and moving words, your insights, your loving soul. God Bless You.
I look forward to reading GIF every morning it is god sent and has taught me a lot throughout the years. Merry Christmas to ALL
Thank you Sharon for the post. You brought back some sanity in my hurried & hustled Christmas shopping!
Thank you! I needed this. My shopping has been done for weeks but not wrapped. I’ve been baking Christmas goodies to give away as my youngest granddaughter thinks that shows true love by giving of ourselves. I will definitely praise His name as I begin wrapping today remembered the true celebration. Merry Christmas.
Such a wonderful depiction of why we wrap gifts. God has gifted you with the gift of journalism. Merry Christmas and thanks for using your gift to bless others.
Merry Christmas 🎄 thank you for your beautiful devotions.
Thank you for Girlfriends in God. I get it every morning and love reading them. I find as I read stories like this one, I to ponder what it must have been like in the beginning .
Merry Christmas to you and family
Merry Christmas-to you and your family . May God bless you in 2021.
Merry Christmas to you. May your Christmas b filled with memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for giving me hope and filling my soul with the promises of Jesus.
Blessings,
Dana
Have a wonderfully blessed Christmas and an even more blessed New Year!🙏🏻
Thank you for encouraging words Merry Christmas Lovely photo
Thank you. Merry Christmas to you and your family as well. I want you to know, I start each day reading GIG devotions and it has made my life so much fuller.
Thank you so much for your beautiful words that I get to read every day what a beautiful picture of you and your husband and of course your darling little dog Merry Christmas to you and your family!!! May you feel the love of Jesus today and all through the year!!
Merry Christmas Sharon & family.
I love your post, and started following you with GIG.
Uplifting & thought provoking, they have helped me so much during this strange year of 2020.
I pray God will continue to bless your ministry, as you continue to bless mine and others.
Merry Christmas!
What an incredible Christmas story… And what an incredible gift from God on that first Christmas. Thanks for keeping our focus on the true meaning of Christmas!
Merry Christmas Sharon. Jesus is the greatest gift.
Just seeing that picture and your smile make me smile too. You have yourself a merry xmas.
Hazel
Merry Christmas to you and your family I really enjoyed your Christmas Inspiration I enjoy reading all your inspiration could you please pray for my daughter Liz that her Social Security Benefits will be Approved please pray for my relationship with my grandkids they won’t have anything to do with me and I don’t know why I raised my oldest granddaughter and she won’t even talk to me either
These teachings are so helpful. Thank you, they are getting me through the day.
Thank you for these words. What a beautiful image of Jesus being wrapped as our gift! Merry Christmas to you!
God bless you this Christmas 🎄. May you be filled with the Joy love & Peace .
Merry Christmas to you and your family. Here is to the new year and praying for better days ahead! This is the year where we really need to stop and praise God for sending us His Son, Jesus. Oh come oh come Emmanuel!
iam blessed and very thankful
Merry Christmas to you, and your family! Thank you for blessing my life with your devotionals.
Merry Christmas! Thank you for the encouraging words and God Bless your ministry.
I so look forward to receiving your emails and messages…. Thank you Sharon
Wishing you and your family a JOYOUS and BLESSED Christmas!!
Thank you for sharing your story!
I am so thankful for that first Christmas gift that came wrapped in swaddling cloths in the manger. Thank you for sharing this morning and reminding us of the most precious gift we would ever receive! Merry Christmas Sharon!
Sharon, thank you for these words. They warmed my heart.
Thank you Sharon-so much. I’ve been looking for something to read to my precious Great niece and nephew, now 5 before they open the mountain of gifts I have here for them this week. Maybe they will forever remember why we wrap our gifts now right?? I’m passing it on. May God truly bless you and your family this Christmas. I pray that you and yours will be healthy…healthy and safe from the elements that are so prevalent today. I love your post they bless and encourage me.
Merry Christmas, beautiful. Thank you for you always encouraging and heartfelt messages.
Thank you Sharon for all encouraging words for us and for the new way to look at Christmas wrappings. I look forward to your emails and messages and bringing the word of God to us.
I loved this! Jesus coming wrapped as a gift to all mankind. Thank you!
Merry Christmas 🎄 to you as well. Thank you for your profound and thought-filled words throughout the year. May you be blessed as you bless and encourage us. Love your photo and what an adorable puppy. Curious as to what breed he/she is?
Thank you Sharon. I always enjoy your messages.
Margie/TN
Yay, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Thank you greatly for your beautiful, amazing writings and teachings. I thank my Lord for you. BLESSINGS. PEACE. REJOICE.👍✝️🎄🕊
Thank you, Sharon, for this important reminder. May your Christmas be filled with great joy, abounding hope for the new year, and the greatest gift of Love.
Merry Christmas to you and your family and Thank you for sharing this story.
Merry Christmas 2020!
Thank-you for the beautiful devotion.
He came special delivery “Wrapped “ up in love!!
Merry Christmas & Blessings for 2021💞
Thank you, Sharon! Lovely picture of you, Steve and Mollie (you sent out a cute FB message with her, so I know her name).
Although Christmas is different this year, God still reigns! Bless you and your ‘house’.
Thank you Sharon and merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas and and a happy New year full of Gods blessings to you and yours.Thanks for being a blessing throughout the year even this tough season.Your devotions are an full of Spirit inspirations.
Merry Christmas to you as well. Thank you for all the encouragement, reminders, and heart felt stories over this year. I truly enjoy all your books and the little personalized note you tend to include thanking your readers. May Jesus permeate in your soul now and in the new year to come. God is a way maker, let 2021 revolve around Him. Bless you and your family Sharon.
A devoted reader of GIG
Thank you for your words. I do enjoy them so much. Merry Christmas and a Happy New to you and your family
Thank you so much for your enlightening stories.I always enjoy reading them. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a very blessed 2021.
Thank you for being such a blessing, for all that you do, for sharing your heart. Merry Merry Blessed CHRISTmas to you & your family❣️☝🏼💯🎄❤️
Thank you for being obedient to God to read and study his words, to give each of us ENCOURAGEMENT.
Merry Christmas and God Bless to you and your family.
Merry Christmas Sharon and thank you!!!
Merry Christmas!
Thank you for your writings- they’re full of God’s wisdom
Last night at church our pastor use this same scripture about the baby in swaddling clothes. And he said God gave us the gift of His son Jesus. We think of giving gifts to others but what gift will we be offering to Jesus.? It is His birthday 12/25🎁
He wants our whole heart. Many said they wanted to give Him their time and attention through prayer and reading His word – to establish a closer personal relationship with our Savior 🙏👑🙌🎁
Sharon,thank you for such an explicit reminder of the gift from God to all…a beautiful and specially wrapped baby: the Christ child.
Your writings consistently touch my heart and create in me a call to worship. Thank you and God bless your little family.
Thank you Sharon for another inspiring article. May our Lord continually grant you wisdom & courage to enlighten/help me in my Christian journey.. God bless you.