It’s More Than Just a Package

For me, it has become more than just the excitement of a pretty box, wrapping paper or bows. Things like favorite candies, a special music download, or something soft and cuddly are comfortable, familiar gifts that express gratitude or congratulations.

They are expressions of love.

When our children were little and a gift giving occasion was approaching, they carefully prepared a wish list.

Catalogs were marked with circles and starred for importance then haphazardly strewn on the kitchen table or living room couch. Eager gift givers would ask about the selections with great interest. In response, our delighted children would explain their choices with detail.

We would wait for the day to come, mesmerized with wonder. What would be in the package? The anticipation was agonizing. Even still, we taught them to be thankful, regardless of the gift.

As the children grew older, they still planned for special times by creating wish lists and dropping hints, although the toy catalogs turned into websites and their selections morphed into things like iPhones and trampolines.

They waited with anticipation, shaking the boxes and admiring the themed paper, but because they were older and had more experience with gifts, they had a better understanding of what might be inside. They could make a guess based on the size of the box and the things for which they had asked. Yet, still they were engulfed with wonder, focusing temporarily on the package.

The past few years have held big changes for our family.

We’ve watched our older children move into life as adults, with our last two following closely behind. We’ve cheered with them through success and cried with them in times of struggle and challenge. Our kiddos still create wish lists, but the gifts now are more about necessity than want. They continue to be excited, even when they are certain of what lies inside.

James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” Our children are a gift from God, perfectly selected for us. We wait with anticipation and wonder, staring at the tiny package.

What will they become? Will they listen and heed our instructions? Will they embrace life and flourish? Will I ruin them?

We are all called by God to be thankful for these gifts. Each one wrapped differently with unique plans. Each one is exactly what we need and we are God’s perfect plan for that child.

The next time you package gifts for your children, whether it’s this Valentine’s Day, Christmas or their birthday, be thankful for the wonder that God created in parenthood. Embrace it. Honor the natural anticipation of what lies inside each child.