A Little Gift, A Lot of Magic ~ Adaline Griffiths

Hi! Today’s post is the fourth in “A little hope” series. We have Adaline Griffiths writing our post today. I hope you enjoy!

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It’s Christmas morning. A little child runs down the stairs, with anticipation and excitement reflecting in their eyes as they dive into their stockings. Many of us can remember a time when we woke up at 6 a.m. every Christmas in our eagerness to unwrap our presents.

But it’s important to remember that the true gift of Christmas is not wrapped in pretty paper and lying beneath a tree. The true gift of Christmas is the the greatest gift of all: God’s son and our Savior, Jesus.

 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. -John 1:14

We all remember the happiness we had when we opened our presents. But when is the last time you opened your Bible with the same enthusiasm?

Sometimes as we grow older I think that we find it easier to find the negative side of a situation, and to focus on details that aren’t important or lose track of what is important. This can especially include busy times in our life – like Christmas.

These days, we can easily forget the reason we celebrate Christmas and focus more on a consumerist view. What will we receive? What can we give? How do I cram another holiday tradition into my crazy schedule?

But if we were to embrace our faith in a childlike manner, we would be able to truly discover the gift of Christmas.

I’m not saying that all holiday traditions are bad, or that we can’t do anything but sit in our house or go to church during the month of December. On the contrary, being out and about, interacting with other Christians and witnessing to unbelievers sometimes can bring our focus back to what is truly important not only at Christmas but at all times: God.

Maybe we could spend our time on activities that will glorify God, and bring us closer to Him, rather than being too busy with Christmas shopping and caroling to take time to reflect on His story, His sacrifice and His ultimate gift to us.

So, no matter how deep we might be in the month of December, I urge you to focus on Christ during this holiday season. Really it should be our focus year-long, but I think we can get distracted by the gifts and the lights, and forget more easily during this time.

Remember the time of your youth, when Christmas was a time of joy and peace. Draw on those memories and reflect on the amazing sacrifice God made when he sent His son down as a newborn baby. I encourage you to celebrate with your loved ones the greatest gift we have ever received.

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Adaline Griffiths is a 17-year-old high school junior from a small town in Michigan. There her fondest days have been spent nibbling on chocolate while she is curled up with a good book. When she isn’t surrounding herself by written words, she is usually found spending time with her family or serving her Almighty Lord. Up till now she has focused on writing fantasy works, but is hoping to expand into some more non-fiction pieces and historical fiction.