The Unwrapping

Originally written on December 13, 2011

My daughter received a present from her beloved Ninong and Ninang while we visited them the other day. It was a nice oblong box decorated with shiny red wrapping paper, encompassed with a ribbon and topped with a nice big bow. It said, To Zara, we love you, Merry Christmas. We told our 3-year old that this was to be opened on Christmas Eve. On the car ride home, she sat in the back, in her car-seat while my wife and I sat in the front. Sneakily, my daughter grabbed the gift. Both my wife and I heard a slow tear. She was opening her present! We, all of sudden, said,

“Zara please don’t do that. That’s for Christmas eve. Christmas is not here yet. We have to wait.”

This was another parenting lesson and reinforcement in what we value. My wife and I have decided to teach our kids the value and meaning behind these gifts, as opposed to celebrating their material value. In the end that is the best thing we could do for them. This episode was a reminder that patience is importance, and that the gift is truly in the giving.

The Advent season is all about waiting, anticipating, expecting, and being ready. Why do we wrap presents?…because not being able to see what’s underneath is important. We get excited about ripping off the paper to see what we’ve gained. Isn’t faith the same thing? We can’t see Jesus in plain sight, but believing, knowing and anticipating his 3-fold coming is a gift of faith, in and of itself. We believe and celebrate that historically He came..we believe and celebrate that presently He comes each and every day, and we believe and celebrate the anticipation of when He will come. That is such a gift. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving, literally. Are we ready for it, for Him? Are we ready for the blessing? for the gift? I believe we need to make our hearts a manger for the baby to be born into. How do we do that? Through patient, yet anticipatory prayer, and by just waiting…

Come Lord Jesus, Come.