Christmas Day at the City Dump

As I grow older, some of the greatest gifts I can recall are the family memories that have kept us laughing years after they occurred. One such memory is when my father spent Christmas day at the city dump.

Parents around the world will try and get those special gifts for their children, and my parents were no exception. They went to great lengths one year to get my sister a special sweater that she wanted. As the gifts were opened on Christmas morning, my parents quickly noticed that Keri’s sweater was not there. After moments of trying to figure out where this gift could be, my father remembered that this gift must have been thrown out with the trash. Instead of giving up, somehow my dad was able to get into the city garbage dump on Christmas day and attempted to try and locate this gift, which would make all things right in our family’s world, at least for his daughter.

While I can appreciate the love and tenacity my father showed in attempting to find that lost item, that story reminds me of the greatest story of Christmas and what God did for us through Jesus Christ. God sent His own Son at Christmas to a broken and fallen world, searching for those who would be restored to Him through Christ. Speaking of Jesus, 2 Corinthians 8:9 states, “…though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”

At Christmas, we celebrate the God who came searching for us and would not give up until He found us. God’s plan for the redemption of man was accomplished through Jesus. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as the only begotten, from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

This Christmas, take time to remember when you first met Christ. Remember how you felt after accepting His offer of forgiveness. Celebrate how your life has changed since that day. Finally, imagine what it will be like when you finally see Him face to face in heaven. This Christmas, stand in awe of the God who came searching for you. Merry Christmas.