The Much-Needed, Not-Fully-Expected, Christmas Gift

This morning, Wednesday, December 25, 2013, I woke up quite early as I usually do.  The house was dark and quiet as it usually is.  I made my coffee and went to the chair in my home where I usually spend the first few hours of my day.  Yes, it was Christmas Day.  I wasn’t thinking about receiving gifts.  I was just thinking about the morning quiet and my favorite time of each day.

The last 4-5 weeks I have been dealing with pain.  No life threatening issues.  I’ve just had a lingering pain in my right hand in both the bone and muscle where the thumb and index finger form a 'V'.

•  It hurt to grip my coffee cup. 
• It hurt to shake hands with people (I do that often at church and work.)
•  It was painful to button my shirt, to tie my shoes, to wash my hair.
•  It was painful to grip a football in order to play catch with my boys. 
• Anything that required the bending, flexing and gripping of my right thumb brought pain.

Like I mentioned, this was not life threatening.  No doubt, there are many in much more pain with more serious issues than my little, right thumb, but I was regularly reminded of the pain.

This morning, I received the gift of healing.  As I sat in my chair and talked with the God who robed Himself in flesh so many years ago, I received the gift of healing.  The child whose birth we celebrate today met with me and gave me a much-needed gift - The gift of healing. 

I did not grab my coffee and go to my chair this morning expecting the gift.  Jesus knew what I needed.

After all the gifts, lights and other noise, are you still hurting?  Do you have physical, emotional or mental pain?  If so, the same Jesus who came a few thousand years ago; the same Jesus who met with me so gently, yet certainly, this morning; He can heal your hurt and pain.  Jesus knows what you need.

I am rejoicing this morning!  I am thankful to God this morning!  None of the presents under the tree have been touched yet today, but I have been touched by Jesus.  I thank Him and I offer Him to you today.  For the first time in several weeks, I type on my keyboard and there is NO PAIN.  I pray for your pain today.  I pray that it leaves your body, soul & mind in the name of Jesus Christ.

THANK YOU JESUS for this much-needed, not-fully-expected gift!

Isaiah 53:4-5  “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:  yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”