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The Kind of Gift You Love to Get for Christmas




My resolution this year is to remove old photos from my camera.   I deleted a bunch from the holidays but one photo has a story to it that I would like to share.  I call it “The Sookie Bucket” because five-year old Susanna, whom we call Sookie, came out of her room with gifts for me after unwrapping all the Christmas presents we gave her.  You should have seen the look on her face as she proudly handed me my present, her Halloween loot container minus the loot.  “This is for you, Groggy.  I want you to have it; I don’t need it anymore.”  So I inherited a bucket, a Lego piece and a soup can prop— treasures she parted with so I could have a present from her on Christmas.  I choked up.

The incident tugged my heart the same way the sermon did on Christmas Eve.  My pastor shared the well-known story of the little girl who wrapped a Christmas gift for her father only to be chastised when he opened it and found nothing inside the nicely wrapped package.  “But there is something inside it,” she cried.  “I filled it up with kisses for you.”  Shortly after, she passed away and her dad relished the box, a tangible treasure from his loving daughter’s heart.

My Sookie Bucket triggers a deeper thought as I start a new year.  Jesus gave it all to His very last breath.  His gift, a bloody sacrifice, wasn’t pretty and many misunderstood as they do even to this day.  For those of us who get it, His brokenness becomes our treasure and reason to live the abundant life!  I’m living life more fully because He gave all He had straight from His heart.

My bucket photo is neatly filed in last year’s folder but the lesson of giving urges me on in 2014.

Comments

  1. CarrieJanuary 6, 2014 at 9:38 AM

    This was beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2014 at 10:21 AM

    Wonderful post! How humbled we are at the fact that the God of all creation emptied Himself so that we might be filled with His fullness!

    ReplyDelete
  3. SharonJanuary 6, 2014 at 10:41 AM

    Oh, what a sweet story! (And, I love your name - Groggy!)

    Yes, the best presents are those given from the heart - and Jesus gave us everything He had, and everything He was, to save us.

    I am humbled by that love.

    GOD BLESS!

    ReplyDelete
  4. DeeJanuary 7, 2014 at 12:07 PM

    Your name..groggy ...made me smile...and oh how sweet a heart your little Susanna has. Your little Sookie bucket tugged at my heart too. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mevely317January 8, 2014 at 7:26 PM

    Oh Mary, this brought tears to my eyes!
    How blessed you are by having a 'Sookie' in your lives ... and sharing her sweet spirit with us!

    Hugs,
    Myra

    ReplyDelete
  6. PeggyJanuary 8, 2014 at 7:40 PM

    What a sweet post. I love the Sookie gift. All the best gifts are the ones filled with love. Happy New Year to you and yours.

    ReplyDelete

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