This week we are celebrating the exciting achievement of our son’s college graduation! He has worked very hard to get to this special day and we are so proud of him, and pray he will flourish and be impactful in his career in finance. When he walked across that stage and grabbed his diploma there was lots of cheering!
Our son’s journey has just begun into the world of professional success. He has survived his many years of grueling academia, internships, and will soon work hard to gain valuable experience in his new position. Hopefully certifications, and in time, professional accolades and the respect of his colleagues, will follow. But it won’t come easy. It will take very hard work, potentially long hours, and sacrifices to make it happen.
And that is why when the Christmas decorations go up at the mall, and the sounds of carols are in the air, and Santa is parked and ready for the wide-eyed toddlers to come say hi, I love being reminded of the totally FREE gift that is ours when we do absolutely NOTHING on our part, but believe. That amazing gift was sent to us on that night long ago when Christ was born to conquer sin for us. And this is a gift that keeps on giving for a VERY LONG time….for eternity. No amount of hard work, sweat equity, degree, sacrifice, ritual, or any other kind of attempt to earn it is needed. We just need to believe and accept Christs sacrifice on the cross.
What amazing grace, what amazing love God has for us! That even though we may try with all of our hearts to be “good” people, and we quickly proceed to fall short of perfection every time, His perfect gift waits for us. God in His huge love, sent grace that night in the form of a baby in a manger in Bethlehem to achieve for us what we can never do on our own. He sent His Son to take our place and die for our sins so that we can have eternal life. This gift of grace and the enormity of God’s sacrifice I am only just beginning to understand, but I am so truly thankful for it.
For me, the verse in Psalms 46:10 “Be Still and know that I am God,” comes alive once again this time of year. Stop scurrying, stop trying to do it all on my own. Just be still and rest in Him.
I hope and pray this is the most important gift you decide to receive this Christmas. This gift promises to never expire, get old, break down, go out of style, or become meaningless, and the hope and joy that come with His gift will be fresh every day you walk with Him. It’s waiting for you…. just unwrap it!
