The Greatest Gift

I am writing tonight from Little Rock, Arkansas, first stop on a long journey.  We arrived about 5:30 and ate supper at the Flying Fish, a very casual but very good catfish place.  Not MS catfish, of course, but good red beans, well not really red beans, but they called em that and they were good so we were happy.  We then strolled down the riverwalk on the banks of the Arkansas River, in the shadow of the Clinton Presidential Library.  A nice and well planned area.  One of the coolest and most unique play areas for kids.  Pretty neat.  Quick dip in the pool and now I am trying to quickly get the room dark and quiet as soon as possible.  On to Oklahoma City tomorrow.

One of the greatest gift I ever received was something that I did not expect and did not want.  I came down the steps when I was 5 or 6 on Christmas morning and was shocked to see something spread out on the floor that I just was not sure what to say and what to ask.  It was a combination of  'is that for me?' and 'what is that?'  It was, in fact, for me and it was an Alamo set of army men complete with the big gate and some metal buildings that looked like the Alamo, a wall around it, and those army dudes of two different colors of beige.  I don't remember asking for it and I did not know what the Alamo was.  But it had so many pieces and it took up so much of the floor as Santa had set up a battle scene right there in my living room of chocolate and beige shag carpet.  It was amazing!  I did not even know what I was getting nor did I really understand what I got once I received it, but it stands out in my mind as one of the greatest gifts I ever received.  I don't know how much I played with it after that morning.  I don't remember.   What I do remember is how taken back I was when I came down the steps and saw that collection sprawled out all over the floor.
There are other gifts that have been greater.  That bike with the shock in the middle was mighty cool.  Much, much greater was the great gift that God gave me on October 28, 1995.  My beautiful bride was gorgeous on that day and she grows more beautiful every day.  Thank you Lord!  However, by far, the greatest gift I ever received was my salvation in Christ.  Like that Alamo set and like my wife, I did not truly understand all that I received when I received Christ in 1974.  HE is truly the Gift that keeps on giving!  I read about that this morning in one of my favorite passages: For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. -Eph. 2:8-9
Spend some time unwrapping that precious gift!