Day 10

Most of you know that I come from two distinct backgrounds....my mom is originally from Buffalo, NY and my dad is from southwest Georgia....she grew up in the city and he grew up in the middle of tobacco fields.  And somehow they got together and now have three children that are about as diverse as their backgrounds. 

So, growing up, holidays were interesting...I only see that now in hindsight...at the time they seemed completely normal because that's all I knew.  Thanksgivings consisted of stuffing, whipped squash, and pumpkin pie....while the other consisted of cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, and pecan pie.  Christmas was different too...not necessarily because of where the grandparents were from, but just because they were different.  We had my grandma (mom's mom) to ourselves for most of the holiday...and she wrapped everything, had present under her tree, etc...

My dad's mom and dad (Mama Jig and Poppy) were simple people...they put up a tree, but often only because the grandkids were coming over.  Mama Jig would take my sister and me to the local department store, Belk, and we would pick out and try on a new dress or outfit.  She would buy it and promptly take it to the gift wrap counter to be wrapped and kept until Christmas.  I can still see her walking through the store, touching every other shirt or piece of clothing, turning the sleeves of the shirts up to check the craftmanship of the sewing.  She loved to feel fabrics and know how they were made...she was a seamstress with one hand.  We usually got clothes, one or two packages, from Mama Jig and Poppy...and we always tried to act surprised when we opened the packages on Christmas.

Were those gifts any less simply because we already knew what was inside?  No.....and thinking about it now, I realize that we know what we're getting every year during this advent season.  We know the story.  We know about baby Jesus...we know how it turns out, but is it devalued because we already know what we're getting?  Absolutely not.  This gift of a Savior is only diminished if we forget to recognize it, appreciate it for what it is, and seek to give it away.  It's wrapped every year and we know what's in it...do we even bother to open it?  Jesus is waiting inside....inside you, inside me....be a kid again.....open it, share him.