Secretary's Soapbox

We had a visit from our three grandchildren, who live near Worthing, during half term. Since we had last seen them two of them, Maddy and Issy, had celebrated birthdays, so we had got presents to give them. It’s always lovely to give gifts to people and watch to see if they are pleased with the things you have chosen, it really is true that it’s better to give than to receive.

I watched as they opened their presents, Maddy, who is seven, ripped open the paper, and promptly got down to opening the cardboard packaging to get at the present inside. She was obviously delighted with her gift which was a Barbie doll and her dog and cat which you could feed, with a litter tray and a scoop for the cat and a similar device for the dog who poo’d pellets!! Talk about realism!

Issy, who is eleven, was much more mature in the way she carefully peeped under the wrapping paper and said, “Cool!” before she took her gift out and tried it in a much more careful way. We had given her a set of electronic drums, which were in the shape of a mouse mat with a picture of drums that made a very realistic and varied sound.

As we get older, the way we accept gifts changes, it’s almost an embarrassment to show too much enthusiasm, and often we don’t immediately start to use what we have been given but put it away in a drawer until we might need it. What a shame!

But do you realise that some people have done the same thing with the greatest gift of all. The one that God gave us all in the form of His only Son, Jesus Christ. He was given to everyone, not just Christians, everyone . Many people have heard the story of Jesus, Christmas, Easter and all that. They may believe it to be true, but they just don’t act upon it, rather they put their Gift in the drawer of their mind ready to use when needed.

If this is you then please get that Gift out and use it, read your Bible, join a church family, talk to others, don’t wait until the last minute. There is so much to be found within the wrappings of that Christmas Gift.

We hope that you all have a truly joyful Christmas,
Cyn

PS. When Eddy was learning to talk, one of the first sentences he spoke was, “I don’t like sauce!” It’s become a running joke that he likes meat and gravy and NO SAUCE of any description..

The other day he was joining us for tea and Frank had opened a tin of Mackerel in Tomato sauce. I asked Eddy if he wanted a fish sandwich and while I was making it he came and looked at the fish sitting in a pool of tomato sauce and said “What’s that red stuff?”

Desperately trying to avoid the “S…” word, I hesitated.
Meanwhile Eddy had stuck his finger into the sauce and then into his mouth, “It’s fish GRAVY” he said, “Yum.”