I love Christmas surprises. I never try or want to know what I’m getting for Christmas ahead of time. There is something so magical in the anticipation. I love how the mound of beautifully bound presents grows under the tree as Christmas approaches, some from me, some to me. On Christmas morning, the enchantment continues as each one is unwrapped and discovered. Some packages bring delight because they are complete surprises, or because I’ve found something that makes another happy, or it brings the thrill of getting exactly what I wanted. All the excitement is made eternally rich and meaningful because we know that exactly what we all needed came as a child born in Bethlehem.
My best Christmas present this year arrived on the 23rd. It was a wonderful and complete surprise. I came home from a Christmas luncheon Karl and I had attended on that day to find my surprise sitting on the couch. Amanda! Daughter of my heart here to spend Jesus’ birthday with me! Karl, his cousin Cliff, and Amanda had all been part of the preparations, which included flying her in from back east, picking her up from the airport in Denver, and getting her here – all without my having even a hint at what they were up to. Amazing surprise, perfect execution of a selfless idea, love embodied with a plan born of love and sacrifice (Thanks, Jarrett for sharing your wife with me!). Isn’t that the absolute embodiment of what Christmas is all about?
