The One Gift We All Need, Most Won’t Unwrap
By: Michael Horner
Tags: Gifts, Truth, Encouragement, Love, Christmas

The One Gift We All Need, Most Won’t Unwrap

What’s waiting under your tree this year? Photo by Matthias Cooper on Unsplash

Walk into the living room, and the Christmas tree is lit with ornaments and tinsel hanging from the branches.

Underneath the tree lie presents in their colorful wrappers, perhaps some with bows on them.

In most homes, the week of Christmas is a scene of anticipation building with the kids endlessly talking about what may be hidden underneath the wrapping paper.

In some homes, the scene might be quite different. No tree, no wrapped presents, just broken hopes and dreams, perhaps mixed with anger and depression.

The day of Christmas follows the shortest day and longest night of the year for a reason.

For some, they remember the light of the day, no matter how short. For others, it is the long darkness that overcomes all their senses.

No matter the scene in your home this year, there is a present waiting for us all to unwrap.

Sadly, this present may lay in the corner of the room, unwrapped and awaiting our eager anticipation of what lies beneath the wrapping paper.

Unwrapping Our Feelings

Unwrapping our feelings to find truth. Photo by Freestocks on Unsplash

Christmas may be one of the most felt seasons of all the year.

Unwrapping our feelings is never a joyous occasion as it can be painful.

Some feel peace. Others feel anxious. Some feel joy. Others feel anger. The list of feelings is endless.

Some will feel an overwhelming desire to give to others less fortunate. Still, others will feel an overwhelming hatred and anger for those who have.

The fantastic principle of feelings is that none of them are false or worthless.

All feelings are valid and should be felt.

Your feelings should not, however, overwhelm you. Your feelings are simply that, a feeling.

Apply Truth to Feelings

Truth is the light that floods the caves of our hearts. Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash

Every feeling requires one more step to process them properly. Most either skip this step or ignore it altogether.

This step is to simply apply truth to the feeling.

Are you alone and afraid this season? Physically, the feeling of aloneness and fear are real. But are they true?

Chances are that there is somebody out there just waiting to spend time with you. They’re ready to listen and help you overcome the loneliness and fear.

Do you have an abundance of joy this season? It’s been a good year and the light of the day shines brightly upon you.

Perhaps the truth is that you have had an incredible year, so you can share that joy with others in ways you never thought possible.

There is always truth to apply to your feelings. Decide to begin seeking the truth to apply to your feelings.

Back to That Unwrapped Gift

There is a gift waiting to be unwrapped. Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash

Let’s go back to your living room. There’s a present waiting for you to reach down and pick it up this year.

It may be wrapped in bright paper, or it may just sit in a cardboard box with no wrapping paper on it.

Pick up that present, shake it a little, try to guess what’s in it.

Then slowly unwrap this present this year. What awaits you inside is more valuable than anything you have ever received.

The present that most will not unwrap this year is a gift that the world desperately needs in abundance today. Sadly, we have gotten out of the practice of giving this gift.

That gift is the gift of love. Not the love of Hallmark movies. No, this gift of love is so much greater than that.

This gift of love is the gift that allows you to see the incredible person you really are. This gift of love won’t cost you a thing, but when you unwrap it yourself and then proceed to give it to others, it is worth more than all the gold on earth.

This gift of love allows you to see the value of those that surround you.

This gift of love gives you the ability to reach out to those who may not know a gift awaits them. Reach out and provide them with this gift.

Don’t allow this to remain unwrapped, waiting under the tree.

Unwrap the gift of love and begin to give as you’ve never given before.