The holiday season is often filled with emotions:  joyful reunions, cheery parties, and yes, sometimes periods of stress, grief, or the occasional "Bah Humbug."  Much of the emotion is centered around the theme of giving.  We come together with family and friends, often enjoying exchanging gifts to demonstrate our love for each other.  Sometimes that desire to give the perfect gift leads to stress as we search for the right gift while trying to manage stretched budgets.  Grief sometimes seeps into the mix as loved ones are missing or perhaps love itself is missing.

As the receiver, the gifts that touch my heart most deeply do not find their way to that spot because of the price tag nor the exclusivity of the item.  Rather, it is that pure display of love that cannot be bought with any amount of money.  Sometimes those moments, those gifts, are not even wrapped in pretty paper.  Sometimes they are simply delivered in servant-hearted acts of kindness or selfless actions that are such pure demonstrations of love that my heart asks, "Wow, do you really love me that much?  I am so undeserving!"

And as I reflect on these tender exchanges of human love and devotion, I can't help but see them as reflections of our Savior's ultimate gift.  The first chapter of John describes Jesus' place before he became a baby in Mary's arms.  He was with the Father; He was active in creation;  He had it all.  Yet He came.  Unconditional love came down to the earth knowing He would be rejected.  Yet He came.  And again, my heart asks, "Do you really love me that much?  I am so undeserving!"

He smiles and responds, "Yes, child, I have always loved you.  From before time began."

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." (I John 4:9)

Thank you, Father.  Thank you, Jesus.