Gift Giving Part 4 – The best for last – Happy Birthday Jesus!

Last week at my MOPS leadership brunch, we went around and shared ideas for keeping the focus on Christ during Christmas. My friend Stephanie shared that her family puts a birthday gift under the tree for Jesus. It is the last gift that they open. In her family, it is usually a religious item for their home such as a cross. I loved that idea and I have been thinking about it ever since. This year our family is going to start a new tradition of having gifts for Jesus. The girls and I went to Michaels and purchased a plain wooden box with a hinge top. They painted it red and decorated it with birthday and Christmas themed stickers. On top, I glued a piece of scrapbooking paper with Matthew 25:40 written on it, which says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." From now until Christmas, we will put a drawing inside the box that represents each thing we do for those in need this Christmas season. Our five year old has taken on the job of doing pictures for each of the gifts. As of now we have drawings of two angel tree children we donated gifts to, one child who will receive our Operation Christmas Child box and three children in Africa who are receiving school uniforms. The last of these gifts is the most beautiful to me, as Sarah (age 5) emptied her piggy bank of her birthday money to buy them through her Awana club. She amazes me! I can't wait to see what else we come up with between now and the 25^th.

On Christmas night we will open the box, lay out all the drawings and wish Jesus a Happy Birthday!