Christmas Past...

I don’t know that I will be speaking of Christmas present or future, but this seemed clever when needing a title for this post. Anyway, this Christmas was truly a blessing in more ways than I realized at first.


My car was stolen back in November. Ironically, we wanted to sell it, but when someone took it off our hands, we were a little mad. Go figure. However, it turned out that we got a little more from the insurance company than we may have trying to sell it. Blessing (in disguise) No. 1.

When we looked around at cars to replace it with, we were really close to buying a car that was at the top of our price range and would have had a really high interest rate to finance. When we found a bank to finance us, we had to go to the physical location to deal with the bank. When we arrived, they were closed, which was kind of annoying since, at the time, I really wanted to get that car. We ended up finding a much better financing deal on a much more suitable, practical, and newer car shortly after. We purchased it December 23. Blessing (in disguise) No. 2.

Of course, Christmas day resulted in a good number of presents, which is always nice. At the end of our present opening, my mom said that there was one more present. She went upstairs to grab it and came back down with a rather large box (roughly 2’ x 4’). I asked whom it was for. She responded by saying, “You. It’s from your grandpa.” (Back story…my grandpa passed away recently. Therefore, I knew this meant she used some of the funds from him/his property sales to help with this gift.) As I began to open it, I saw wood types on the box and began to connect the clues. As I started to get emotionally wrapped up in the unwrapping, I had to verify the contents of the package before I got carried away. I opened the box, indeed the casing was appropriate for my suspected gift. When I opened the case, my hypothesis was confirmed…a brand new Taylor 315ce (guitar), the one I had been dreaming of getting if we could ever get some money saved up! I teared up a little and thanked my mom, who was also soggy-eyed. Blessing (in packaging) No. 3.

Of course, the most important gift was the one that wasn’t much of a surprise but still hits me more deeply than any other gift ever could. This gift is the why we gather together in mass and rejoice each year, and hopefully, each moment. We come together to praise God for the Christ, the Anointed One who was sent to live and die as man and God, as servant come King. Thank you Jesus, Messiah, Immanuel. Blessing (to be exalted above all others)!