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December 19th.
2007
GIFTS
Like most young people our children
make (now often starting in mid-November) a wish list of the gifts they
hope to receive for Christmas. As you might imagine these lists contain
most of the commercially popular gifts, as well as a few that reflect
their particular interests.
While I drop those occasional o- so-subtle hints, I usually do not write
up a list and post it on the dash of my car as one member of my family
did! Yet, with the proliferation of said lists in my home I became
motivated to write up my own list.
1. I would like the gift of love. To know that those around me truly
love me, warts and all, would be wonderful.
2. I would appreciate, because of said “warts”, the gift of
forgiveness. I am no stranger to mistakes, missteps, misstatements,
mishaps and so on, so knowing that I am forgiven would be a huge gift
3. I would like the gift of patience. Again because of the afore
mentioned “warts”, a little patience with my foibles would be a real
gift.
4. I would love the gift of listening. To really hear what I am
desiring to communicate would be a real blessing.
5. I would be on fire to receive the gift of encouragement. To feel
the complete support and motivation to embrace and utilize my God-given
gifts to their greatest potential would be a phenomenal gift.
Love, forgiveness, patience, listening, and encouragement - these are
not gifts that you will see in your pile of newspaper advertisements or
blaring from a commercial on your television. These are in essence the
fruit of the Spirit and the call Paul commends to the followers of Jesus
in Galatia and their fellow brothers and sisters in Ephesus:
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” Galatians
5:22-23.
“…lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with
all humility, gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in
love” Ephesians 4:1-2.
I will be blessed again this Christmas with wonderful gifts from family
and friends. I will most certainly appreciate these gifts. However, it
will be the gifts behind the gift of love, forgiveness, patience,
listening and encouragement that they give me that is truly the gift…the
real gifts we receive in the birth of our Lord Jesus.
Merry Christmas!
Blessings,
The Rev. Brian N. Prior, Rector
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