This is my Christmas post and I am going to warn you in advance that there will be no lamenting of the commercialization of Christmas from this corner. Some of my all time favorite memories could not have happened, if it were not for Christmas in all its commercial glory. I know you can remember a favorite toy that you received on Christmas morning. Mine was a miniature cannon that shot plastic cannon balls the size of a baseball. It was such a cool toy that my dad spent most of the morning chasing the cat around the house with cannon fire. The funny thing is that I don't remember ever playing with that toy myself.
Grown ups can have favorite gifts, too. We used to spend every Christmas eve at my Grandma Edgren's house with all my uncles, aunts, and cousins on my mom's side. Grandpa Edgren was not a big talker, but he was full of surprises. The Edgren's did not have T.V. at their house. Grandma didn't think much of it. But Grandpa Roy really wanted to watch football. He found a television for sale in the classified ads, brought it home, put it in a box, wrapped it up, and wrote "to Roy from Elsie" on it. You have to understand that my Grandma was not going to have "the one-eyed monster" in her house, and she said, "If that's what I think it is, you take it back." But, that is why Grandpa bought the T.V. from the classifieds; he couldn't take it back, could he? He changed the card to say, "to Roy from Santa Claus," and opened it on Christmas eve in front of five children and at least eleven grandchildren (there would eventually be thirteen). "To Roy, from Santa," he read, as if with genuine surprise, and from then on, we could watch football at Grandma Edgren's house. Grandpa would decry the injustice of fumbles in the game ("They shouldn't be allowed"). And he never could understand why they didn't run around the end on every play. My grandma would even peek out from the kitchen to cheer on her two favorite players, Walter Payton and Roger Staubach.
Sometimes we didn't get the gifts we wanted. It might have even been traumatic at the time, but the years can change your perspective. My cousin Kurt really had his mind set on a certain gift, and he was sure he was going to get it. We were at my dad's parents house, where we usually gathered on Christmas afternoon. Kurt was just a little tike, but he knew what he wanted, which I think is a really good quality, and every gift that wasn't the one he wanted just made him more and more frustrated and angry. Finally, when the last gift was opened, and he saw that he wasn't going to get his gift, it was more than he could bear. He shouted out, "I WANT WALKIE-TALKIES NOW!" It was a full-throated, show-stopping, toddler-tantrum scream. My brother Jon and I were in awe! He had broken an unwritten rule. My grandma Hertzler (Minnie was her name) was a sweet little Mennonite lady who loved her grandchildren, and even as rotten as we were . . . well it just wasn't done. There were looks of consternation and embarrassment on all of the adult's faces. it was so outrageous and embarrassing that we started to laugh. But, we weren't supposed to laugh. Jon and I had no sympathy for the frustrations of our little toddler cousin. I don't know if he ever got his walkie-talkies. I just know that in our young minds it was epic. For many days afterward, we would blurt out, "I want walkie-talkies, now!" like it was a line from a favorite funny movie.
I know that for all of us adults, Christmas is about giving. But, when you are a kid, Christmas is definitely about receiving. And that is O.K. In fact, there is something that we can all learn from being a kid on Christmas day. As of this very moment, my five month old grandson is being showered with Christmas gifts. It doesn't really make any sense, because he has no understanding of Christmas and no real appreciation for the gifts. He is trying to put everything in his mouth. He does seem to love the colorful wrapping paper.
Baby Judah and his dad. One of them received a wildly inappropriate gift for Christmas!
The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. Joseph's journey took him from the house of a wealthy Egyptian, to prison, and eventually to becoming the ruler of all Egypt under Pharaoh. This happened because Joseph miraculously interpreted Pharaoh's dream. It turned out that God had meant to send Joseph ahead of his family to save them from a great famine. Joseph is a beautiful foreshadowing of Jesus, Himself, as Savior of the world. When his brothers come to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize him. What follows is a poignant story of love and reconciliation, but I would like you to consider Joseph's younger brother, Benjamin, the only other son of Joseph's mother. Joseph tests his older brothers before he reveals himself to see if they will defend Benjamin. They come into Joseph's presence with the boy:
"As he lifted his eyes and saw Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, 'Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?' And he said, 'May God be gracious to you my son.'" (Gen. 43:29)
Leaving aside the prophetic meaning of the words Joseph spoke to him, can you imagine the scene? Then it said, "Joseph hurried out, for he was deeply stirred over his brother." (v. 30)
Later, in verse 34 it says that, "He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much. The kid in me shouts out, "Not fair!" But God was gracious to him!
You can look in vain throughout the story for anything Benjamin did to deserve special treatment, but you will not find it. He was the kid brother. He was the one who his Father and elder brother loved. He was you and me if you can receive it.
My grandbaby is being showered with gifts, not because he has been a good boy, or can even appreciate them, but because all his parents, grandparents, uncles, aunt, and cousins love him. Do you know that you are the one that Jesus loves? You are His favorite!
"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)