What Kids Can Teach Us About Christmas

Over the years, I've lost part of the childlike zeal that I used to have for Christmas, or at very least, the anticipation of rushing downstairs to grab a present under the tree, rip the wrapping paper off, and thrusting my arms triumphantly in the air as I celebrated the gift that I just wanted. Don't get me wrong - I still love the holiday and it's a blast celebrating it with young children, but the activity of opening presents in front of the tree just isn't quite the same thirty years later.

When I was seven, I wanted a Dukes of Hazzard racing set. I mean, I really wanted it so much that it physically hurt. When I would watch the commercial on television, my eyes would glaze over and saliva would stream out of the corner of my mouth. My parents were actually pretty good sports about it - while they did get it for me, they didn't prematurely stick it under the tree lest they ruin the surprise (I'd notice a box that big, and I'd find ways to slowly tear the wrapping paper to find out for sure). On Christmas morning, I found a huge wrapped gift standing behind the tree, and lo and behold, there was my racing set. At that moment, I didn't think I could ever be so happy again. It was nirvana that only a seven year-old could experience.

As I look back upon that moment, the feeling of joy was largely due to the fact that I knew that this racing set was something that I was utterly dependent on my parents to buy for me. It was a whopping $40 or so, and there was no way in God's green earth that I could ever save enough money to buy it. It was exorbitantly expensive in the eyes of a child, and I probably wasn't all that confident that my parents could scrape up enough dough to get it for me, or sure that they would even if they could.

Flash forward to present day and my muted, although still polite and grateful, view towards gifts I receive at Christmas. It's not all the complicated, I suppose. Over the years, I started making money, and before soon I realized, "Hey, forget waiting for Christmas, I'm going to buy this Walkman / stereo system / Nintendo cartridge / CD changer / cell phone / PDA / Netbook / iPod for myself." The sense of dependence was gone, and thus was the anticipation and joy of receiving something that I knew I couldn't get myself.

I think this is where kids can teach us a great deal about Christmas. Christian parents frequently tell their children that we give gifts to each other in Christmas to remind each other of the greatest Gift that God gave to us - His own Son, Jesus Christ. This is true. What I've also realized is that children's joy in receiving gifts at Christmas is really a helpful reminder of the way I ought to receive the "Gift" of Jesus and the Salvation I have through Him - overwhelming thanksgiving and joy knowing that I've received something that I could not have possibly purchased myself. It's a celebration of what we call grace - receiving something wonderful which is unmerited and undeserved, only by the kindness of the giver.

So to my younger-self at seven years old who celebrated gleefully at receiving that Dukes of Hazzard racing set - thank you. You have reminded me that there should be great joy when somebody receives something so precious and valuable made possible only by the grace of another. The only thing that will mute my celebration for having received Christ and His love and salvation, is the belief that somehow I've earned it through my own efforts or merit, or that He just isn't up to par to that racing set I received way back when. Both premises are ridiculous.

Merry Christmas, everyone.