The Packages of Christmas

I knew it would be an early morning. Today we celebrate our we’re-going-home-for-two-weeks-and-do-not-have-room-in-our-suitcases-to-take-our-Christmas-gifts-with-us Christmas morning traditions. So we opened our gifts this morning. I was right. The girls woke us up at 6:45.

My Mann and I spent last evening wrapping gifts while watching the black-smoke-John-Locke recruit helpers for his evil plan. (We’re in season 6 of Lost.) We shut the door to the living room and instructed our kids to knock if they needed anything at all. We also gave them instructions to let each other sleep until nature awoke them today. Apparently, 6:45 was the magic number.

But, really, who can blame them? I used to do the same thing. Only my early was almost last night’s late. (See the note under Song #6 from yesterday’s post.)

There is something so magical about gifts all wrapped up special just for me that keeps sleep from grabbing a strong hold on the night before Christmas. And that magic is not lost on my kids.

I was never really good at wrapping gifts when I was a kid. My scissor lines were never straight. The corners were always more mashed into submission than folded into beautiful. And, unless the stars were aligned just right and the wind was blowing at the perfect speed from the north-south-east and west, I could never make a good bow. I still really can’t.

But I have always had a fondness for packages all wrapped tight. The big ribbons and the paper and the tag with the names. To me, it is the thoughtful expression of a detail that could have been left undone.

For a long time, I used plain brown kraft paper as my only means of Christmas wrap. That and some big, beautiful ribbon tied neatly around was my signature Christmas wrap. Then I had kids who’d rather have snowmen and bright colors and curly ribbons. So I gave up the signature and decided it was not about me anyway.

I still like the signature look. But the fun of cute wrapping paper is growing on me as my girls grow bigger.

Yes, I love packages all wrapped up and ready. The picture of anitipation. An image of something special that someone has gone out of the way to present. The thought of the time someone put into delivering, well, anything, I love it.

My oldest was born three days after Christmas. A little package all wrapped up in a 6 pound, 3 ounce person. We called her a late Christmas gift.

I love the story of how God wrapped His Son in skin and sent Him to people who deserved no such gift. The Message version of John’s account says it well.

Almighty God put skin on His Word. Wrapped Him all up. So that mankind, you and I, could know real life. And live.

Question for you: Do you have a certain way of wrapping Christmas gifts?