I’ve seen a lot of Christmas days in my lifetime, but there is one in particular that I recall when I was ten years old. That year I couldn’t wait to open presents, hoping I would receive an Apollo space craft watch. It was the early 1970s and moon landings had captured our imaginations. I dreamed of being an astronaut and this watch was one small step toward that goal.
I first spotted the watch in the Sears Wish Book. The face was the moon and the mechanical hour hand was the command capsule. The minute hand was the lunar module and every 60 seconds it would pass the command capsule as if it was about to dock. Getting that watch and wearing it to school would make me the envy of my classmates.
I was not disappointed that Christmas. (That would come later.)
I could barely contain my excitement when I opened my gift on Christmas morning and saw that watch. I instantly pulled it from the box and strapped it to my wrist. To me, this watch was the ultimate in cool timepieces. I could hardly stop looking at it. Over time, the excitement faded and disappointment set in when the watch eventually broke. The lunar module fell out of orbit when the minute hand came loose and slid around inside the watch case.
Today I have no idea what happened to that watch. I’m guessing it was tossed into the trash heap of life. I remember showing it off to my friends at school after Christmas break, but beyond that the memories of the watch evaporated with all the excitement of receiving the gift I really wanted that Christmas. But there’s one gift I unwrapped years ago that I still have and still cherish.
When I first accepted the gift of Jesus in my life, I had no anticipation of what it might bring. Yet over the years, as I slowly unwrapped more of my belief in Jesus, I began to experience the immense joy and the peace that surpasses all understanding. Unlike so many earthly things, the wonder of the gift of the Spirit of God never fades. It is a gift with eternal value.
I hope this Christmas you will share in that eternal joy.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9, NASB
140 Character Christian 