Gift Wrapped

The Gift

This year I received an over-the-top unexpected gift that made me cry. A friend from church is giving me a new knee! As the NHS waiting list is almost 3 years, and as I am utterly debilitated with arthritis, she is paying for me to have surgery privately. It’s hard to accept a gift so large and I protested somewhat, until I reflected on the packaging which was just perfect.

The Wrapping

My right knee has had severe degeneration throughout the joint for years, but as the pain has been manageable I agreed with the consultant to wait. Now my left knee has deteriorated rapidly with a Baker’s cyst putting more pressure on the joint. The waiting list just to see an NHS consultant is now so long that my husband and I decided that though we couldn’t afford private treatment, we would go ahead with a private consultation to get a better understanding. It was the very next morning that an email arrived offering to pay for my operation. The ‘packaging’ was the perfectly timed message, the strength of the commitment and kindly tone shared by my friend which revealed the identity of the True Giver.

The Giver

As I told the story to friends and family the response was unanimous, ‘This is God!’ Yes, I had to admit that behind the love of my kind and generous friend was the kindness and generosity of my loving Heavenly Father. To reject the gift would be to reject the Giver. When I accepted, my friend said I had made her ‘so happy’ and I’m reminded of the truth,

‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’(Acts 20:35 ).

The Inexpressible Gift

As we approach Christmas, I love this season of Advent when we take time to explore the packaging around Jesus, the unspeakable gift to be celebrated. He is wrapped in prophecy and history as God sovereignly wove the events of time to dovetail with Isaiah’s prophecies given centuries before.

For me the incarnation is wrapped in wonder as I ponder the King of Glory willing to be swaddled in a feeding trough.