Hunting Christmas

Christmas gifts come in all shapes and sizes. They can be inexpensive or very costly. When thinking about a Christmas gift that stands out in my mind, I go back to the Christmas I was five years old. My favorite uncle was my father’s only brother, a quiet man with a calming presence. He was a home builder, a bachelor…and he was known to wait and do his Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve.

It was always fun to open the gift from him because, though he waited until the last day to buy it, he was so thoughtful in what he chose to give each person. As a five-year old boy, I was excited to open my gift, which was a wind-up toy rabbit and a gun that shot little wooden dowels with a suction cup on the end. When these “bullets” hit the rabbit, it would stop moving.

I had watched my uncle take his beagles, sling his shotgun over his shoulder, and head off to hunt rabbits. With this new toy, I could better identify with and emulate him, and it made the gift even more special.

Not only was my uncle a capable hunter and builder, he was a great Christian role model. You’ve heard that more things are caught than taught. I “caught” so many things from him through the years as I observed his interaction with people in various situations. Many came to him for counsel. He was the treasurer for our church, and I recall being proud and intrigued each month as he gave the financial report in the business meeting. Not very exciting, I’ll admit, but he did it in such a way that I could tell he was doing it as unto the Lord.

Receiving special and memorable gifts at Christmas is fun, and having such a special uncle to look up to and enjoy his unique gifts still impacts my life today. God is gracious to provide special family members and friends to bless and impact us for good. His greatest provision for us is in the gift of His Son.

God loved us so much that He gave us His one and only Son so that we might have eternal life. I hope you and your family members and loved ones have received this greatest of all Gifts this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!